Resilience, Confidence, and Positive Thinking

2The Psychological Resources to Heighten Self‐Confidence

Increasing Self‐Efficacy

Many books have been written that address motivation and confidence, but they often differ in their definitions of what confidence is. What is clear, however, is psychological research regarding the connection between self‐efficacy and self‐confidence. Practical methods to improve self‐efficacy have been well‐established, and what is certain is that increasing self‐efficacy is the shortcut to greater self‐confidence.

What Is Self‐Efficacy?

Self‐efficacy was first advocated in 1977 by Alfred Bandura, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. He defined self‐efficacy as “the belief in yourself that you can work toward a worthy goal.” In a nutshell, it's the strong conviction that you can accomplish your goals if you try, along with the confidence that you can produce expected results when faced with a difficult task.

The feeling that you can do it on your own encourages positive actions. It goes without saying that a high sense of self‐efficacy is important for success in life and work.

Self‐Efficacy and Resilience

People who have high self‐efficacy have the following traits:

• They show ...