Have you ever noticed how accomplishing something on your own can make you feel unstoppable? Maybe it was learning how to ride a bike, making a tough decision, or even cooking a meal for the first time.
Whatever it was, that feeling can give you a boost of confidence that makes you feel like you can conquer the world. This is because, as humans, we thrive on an innate desire to be self-sufficient and to do things for ourselves. And when we accomplish something on our own, it reinforces that desire.
Independence can build confidence because it allows you to rely on yourself and gain a sense of control over your life. As you become more independent and gain some confidence, you feel better about yourself and learn to trust your own judgment and abilities.
In fact, it can help cultivate confidence in many ways, and it’s good to practice it for your own well-being and fulfillment.
So how exactly can it develop confidence?
How does independence build confidence?
There are many steps you can take to grow your confidence, including:
Making decisions on your own.
When you are able to make decisions for yourself and without someone else to do it for you, it can empower you and put you in control of your life. This can help you develop a strong sense of self and discover your self-identity. By taking ownership of your choices without input from another person holding you back, you learn to have faith in yourself and improve your resilience to face the consequences of your decisions.
Without spending time waiting for someone else to make the decisions for us, oh the new places that we could go!
Understanding yourself and your values.
This involves taking time to reflect on your personal beliefs, priorities, and goals, and reflecting on what is truly important to you. By doing this, you can learn to make choices and take actions that align with your values, which can boost your sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency.
By focusing on yourself and your values, you can communicate more effectively with others, establish boundaries, and navigate difficult situations with greater ease, all of which may help you feel more “in charge.” It may even help you discover a new hobby or passion and ignite a spark of creativity you never knew you had.
Setting realistic goals and working to achieve them.
This involves identifying achievable targets that align with one’s personal abilities and creating a plan to accomplish them. By breaking down these goals into smaller, manageable tasks, individuals can track their progress and develop a sense of accomplishment as they work towards their desired outcome.
When you self-manage your learning and break down your goals in this manner, it helps develop self-efficacy. This is the belief in one’s ability to achieve goals on your own without waiting for someone else to solve our problem for us. As you see yourself making progress towards your objectives, your self-esteem and self-worth improve. This is why many educators encourage parents to emphasize the importance of self-learning for young children, such as toddlers.
Moreover, working towards your goals where you don’t have to wait for anyone or someone else’s opinion can also help you gain valuable experience and new skills. Since you’re responsible for your own pace, this can elevate your confidence and prepare you for future challenges.
Managing emotions in a healthy way.
Managing emotions means someone naming their feelings and finding constructive ways to express and cope with them. This way, we learn to recognize and regulate our emotions, handle our stress, and make more rational decision making. Taking charge of our own self-care is part of being more independent and self-reliant.
This way, individuals can become more emotionally flexible and self-aware, and give them greater agency and control over their reactions to various situations. All this can lead to greater reliance on their ability to handle adversity than they ever thought possible and, of course, reduced stress.
Acknowledging and understanding personal strengths and weaknesses.
By recognizing what you excel at and where you struggle, you can make informed, good choices about the direction of your life and develop a clearer sense of self-awareness. Independence as a skill allows you to better understand your true self, and when you understand your limitations, you can work on improving them or finding ways to work around them, while also capitalizing on your strengths to create a sense of pride and accomplishment.
As a result, the sense of knowing yourself and what you’re capable of translates to greater belief in your ability to handle a tight spot.
Practicing assertiveness in your communication.
This means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in a clear but respectful way. By being assertive, you show that you value yourself and your opinions, and you are not afraid to stand up for yourself.
Being able to think independently and stand up for yourself helps forge self-esteem because it helps you set boundaries, take control of situations, and avoid being taken advantage of. The better we are at addressing our peers constructively and assertively, it opens up so many opportunities for ourselves and our goals. Saying yes all the time, even if we don’t mean it, is unhealthy and makes us even more dependent on others.
Taking risks and learning from your mistakes.
Self-confidence is key to achieving success because when you confidently take risks, you challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and try new things (or even talk to new people). True, we always want to feel safe, and taking risks doesn’t always mean they pay off. But when you learn from your mistakes, you can avoid repeating them in the future. Learning new skills means enjoying new adventures!
There might be some anxiety in the first few tries, but through this cycle of risk-taking, learning, and growth, you gain valuable experience and knowledge that can increase your self-determination. You can ask for help initially, but everything else after that is up to you.
Conclusion
When we take on new roles and responsibilities, we are more likely to develop a sense of self-reliance and mastery. When we become independent, it can increase our belief in our own abilities and help us feel fulfilled and happier.
However, it’s important to remember that it alone is not a guarantee of confidence and that support and encouragement from others can also play a crucial role in helping us develop a positive self-image.
So, while it’s always good to strive to be more independent, don’t forget to also seek out the support and guidance of trusted friends, family members, mentors, or even your therapist. By balancing autonomy with social connections, we can lay down a foundation of self-worth that will positively impact us in many areas of life. Just because we’re emotionally independent doesn’t mean being emotionally distant, after all—we still need a sense of belonging!
But always remember, when you take steps to become more independent, you’re also taking steps to become more confident.