Claire is smart and capable and yet addressing her weight feels beyond her. She feels like she was wasting her precious time and is having difficulty understanding her blocks.

Claire came to me to lose weight, but after a couple of coaching sessions it became apparent that there was an underlying issue: she doubted herself and had no faith in her ability to change, perpetually stuck in that vicious cycle.

And she was constantly sabotaging her efforts wondering , her words exactly“If I’m so capable in all other areas of my life so why can’t I lose weight?”

The piece that was missing in her strategy was her lack of belief in herself.

So, what is self-belief and what is so good about it?

Self-belief, is that magic ingredient that makes everything possible, and one that many of us may not be aware is missing.

Self-belief is that positive feeling you have inside , its believing that you are capable of achieving everything.

You feel confidant and capable and this fuel empowers you to face challenges in your life.

On the other hand, self-doubt is fueled with negative thoughts and doubts and can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Do you ever catch yourself saying?

• ‘I can’t possibly do this; other people are much smarter than me.”

• ‘What will they think of me if I say that or do this “

• ‘I don’t deserve to be healthy and happy”

And you know what you are probably right, because you will get the life that you feel you deserve.

This quote describes it perfectly:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve”

How many opportunities have you missed because you lacked belief in yourself and doubted your abilities?

This is what it looks like:

People with a strong sense of self-belief:

• View challenging problems as tasks to be mastered

• Develop deeper interest in the activities in which they participate

• Form a stronger sense of commitment to their interests and activities

• Recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments

People with a weak sense of self-belief:

• Avoid challenging tasks

• Believe that difficult tasks and situations are beyond their capabilities

• Focus on personal failings and negative outcomes

• Quickly lose confidence in personal abilities

Here are some great reasons why believing in yourself matters:

• Self-belief gives you the confidence & freedom to make mistakes

• Self-belief lets you see opportunitieswith “fresh eyes”

• Self-belief allows you to find creative solutions.

• Self-belief creates a positive snowball effect in other areas of your life.

• Self-belief stimulates action and invites you to be persistent

Here are 3 proven ways to build  self-belief and bridge the gap between the life you have and the life you want.

1. Start small and Build

You can start small and build on from there. Doing something you planned to do, no matter how small will make you feel better about yourself once you achieve it.

Starting small will also eliminate overwhelm and the risk of giving up all together

Here is a tip to get your started:

• Set small daily goal/s

• Decide what you want to achieve daily and do it

• Tick things off your list

• Affirm your effort e.g.” Rather than making a long to do list, I will create a shorter one today and accomplish all the tasks”

Remember, inch by inch it’s a cinch to get things done.

2. Manage Your Thoughts and Emotions

Change your mind set by examining your thoughts and rewiring your self-talk

The voices in your head aren’t always the positive ones. These voices are your thoughts and these thoughts create feelings.

Pay attention to your thoughts.

Here is a tip to get your started:

Write down your daily thoughts about a particular situation or something you want to achieve.

1. Pick one thought that isn’t serving you

• E.g. “I’m so hopeless, I never get things done, I’m going to fail—again.”

2. Now recognize what the feeling this thought is causing.

• E.g. “Sadness or disappointment”

3. Now ask yourself “How do I want to feel in/about this situation?”

• E.g.” Confident and Capable”

4. Now ask yourself “What thought will help me create this feeling?”

• E.g.” My past experiences do not define me, I am going to start small and get this done”

What you think about yourself and how you feel about yourself will influence the results you get in every area of life.

3. Build on Your Success

Celebrating and recognising your success is the most effective way to create a strong sense of self-belief.

When you succeed at something, you are likely to build a powerful belief in your ability.

Here is a tip to get your started:

• Get out your daily journal and write down 2-3 things that you succeed in doing daily, that would normally be a struggle.

• Over a week you will build a list that you will be proud off

• Keep adding to this list and keep reading it

• Celebrate each win!

Imagine doing this for a whole month -your self-belief will sky rocket!

Developing a strong sense of self-belief can play an important role in almost every aspect of your life.

Life will always be full of challenges and believing in yourself and your ability can help you better deal with these more effectively.

Your belief in your abilities can predict how motivated you feel, how you feel about yourself, and the amount of effort you put into achieving your goals.

Now I would love to hear about your experience…

If you were able to master your thoughts, build unwavering self-belief take and feel good about yourself and your life, so you can invest your time and mental energy in more meaningful areas of your life.

• What would that mean to you?

• How will you feel in 2 years time if you are living this way?

Really think about this and please comment….