{"id":97013,"date":"2023-03-28T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=97013"},"modified":"2026-01-22T21:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:51:36","slug":"how-to-trust-yourself-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-trust-yourself-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Trust Yourself: 4 Tips to Make Confident Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How well do you trust yourself<\/a>? Do you want to be more confident in your decisions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A boost in self-esteem starts with the ability to trust yourself. When you\u2019re surrounded by confident people with strong opinions, it can be easy to second-guess yourself. But with our strategies, you\u2019ll begin to believe in your own instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn how to trust yourself<\/a> and why self-trust is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why Trusting Yourself Is Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Norman Vincent Peele\u2019s book The Power of Positive Thinking<\/em><\/a>, trusting yourself<\/a> is important for a happy and successful life. Self-confidence leads to achievements and self-realization, helping you release your inner power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not everyone has the power to believe in themselves. Too many people are hampered by feelings of inadequacy, often called an \u201cinferiority complex\u201d or a lack of self-confidence. Inferiority complexes create barriers in our personalities, stopping us from achieving our full potential. They\u2019re often the result of emotional damage done to us in childhood or may be the result of childhood circumstances. These reasons are why it can be harder to trust yourself as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Trust Yourself More<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Are you ready to live the life you want? All it takes is some self-reassurance. Now that you know how important trusting yourself is, let\u2019s look at a few strategies to help you learn how to trust yourself more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Replace Negative Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thinking negatively is one of the main reasons people don\u2019t trust themselves. Discouraging yourself only makes you believe you can\u2019t accomplish anything. To combat this, you have to replace negative thoughts<\/a> with positive ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To maximize the power of positive overthinking, Jon Acuff\u2019s book Soundtracks<\/em><\/a> says to choose positive thoughts<\/a> that relate directly to your goals. As Acuff writes, choosing thoughts that pertain to your goals helps empower you to perform better in the most important situations in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, suppose you have an upcoming presentation at work that you\u2019re worried about. Thinking generally positive thoughts about work is good, but thinking more specifically about the presentation is better. If you spend the week beforehand reminding yourself that you\u2019re a well-prepared and skillful public speaker, it\u2019ll help you carry yourself with confidence into your presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acuff notes that when choosing positive thoughts, you should focus on finding solutions<\/em> to difficult situations and not on the situations themselves. This can be especially helpful when dealing with a situation that\u2019s causing you mental stress and anxiety. Focusing on solutions helps you avoid anxiety and stay on task<\/a>, whereas focusing too much on the situation will only make you more anxious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re having trouble coming up with positive thoughts, Acuff suggests inverting old negative thoughts.<\/strong> This method can help you come up with positive thoughts that relate to any situation where you\u2019ve previously struggled with overthinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you\u2019re a distance runner, and one of your old negative thoughts was \u201cI\u2019ll never be able to run a marathon,\u201d you could flip this thought upside-down. Your new line could be something like \u201cI have what it takes to go the distance.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to inverting negative thoughts, you can borrow positive phrases from others. Acuff notes that positive thoughts can come from anywhere\u2014friends, favorite books, even song lyrics. Coming up with your own positive thoughts can feel difficult at first, so it can help to outsource them, especially when you\u2019re first getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build Positive Habits by Taking Action<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to Acuff, it\u2019s important that you couple your new positive thoughts with action. As you take action toward accomplishing your goals and experience success, you\u2019ll increase your confidence, which will help your positive thoughts work more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acuff recommends coupling rituals with your positive thoughts to help get in the habit of taking action. Anything you can do to create a positive association with a difficult task will help spur you to continued action. For example, if you\u2019re struggling to make it to the gym, in addition to creating slogans around working out, you can also create rituals by putting on your favorite workout gear, listening to energizing music, or taking a relaxing bath after working out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Remember Your Achievements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people are self-deprecating, and it probably feels more comfortable than bragging. It\u2019s dangerous, though\u2014you\u2019re spreading the message that you\u2019re undeserving. This is bad for your confidence\u2014you\u2019ll be less likely to trust yourself to try new things and succeed at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do<\/em> deserve your achievements, so take credit for them, says journalists and authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman in their book The Confidence Code<\/em><\/a>. If you have trouble taking a compliment, say thank you and tell the person you appreciate them saying it.<\/strong> Knowing your strengths can make you more confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also need to remember your external achievements\u2014you become confident when you remember there\u2019s proof you\u2019ve been successful in the past<\/strong>, and this realization is more powerful than any self-perception<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n