It's easier to feel confident when little is on the line. But confidence is critical when stakes are high — so it's worth knowing how to silence self-doubt before you're put to the test.
"High-stakes situations have serious consequences in terms of gain and loss, and matter a great deal to your organization or your career success," said David Noble, founder of View Advisors, a consulting firm.
How do you muster up faith in yourself when it matters most and the pressure is on? Consistent mental preparation ahead of time will give you the edge, Noble said.
Be Mindful Of Your Goals To Enhance Confidence
Most people's minds swim with unhelpful thoughts about the past and future. Such chaotic thinking can kill confidence when the heat is on and deadline pressure mounts.
So it's important to train your mind to focus on the here and now before the stakes get high. Mindfulness is an eye-rolling cliche at this point. But many of the principles of mindfulness can help you keep your confidence, even under pressure. They key is to practice dealing with unhelpful thoughts prior to a crisis.
Learn to observe the thoughts in your mind. Label them mentally as thoughts, feelings or judgments. Over time, you'll realize you're more than just your thoughts.
This ability will help you focus on what matters most when the stakes are low. You'll then be ready to think just as sharply when there's a great deal on the line, says Noble, who co-wrote "Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High."
Challenge Perfectionism
One of the thoughts you must learn to spot and label is the idea that you're not doing enough. This belief often erodes confidence during clutch moments.
When you start feeling you're not contributing enough, determine if it's simply a thought you're generating out of perfectionism, says Morra Aarons-Mele, a podcaster and author of "The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower."
Learning to pinpoint your perfectionist tendencies will open up space in your mind for more helpful thoughts. Rather than worrying whether you're doing enough, you can apply the brainpower to find solutions to the problems. Now, that's helpful.
"Commit to doing the hours on the project and see how it feels when you're done. The results may surprise you," Aarons-Mele said.
Deep-Six Imposter Feelings To Develop Confidence
It's easy to think you didn't actually earn your success. Even highly successful people often think they just got lucky or rode someone else's coattails. These "impostor" thoughts work against confidence during tough times.
Again, learn to defuse these thoughts. If you are not feeling deserving or lack confidence, seek a pep talk from someone who believes in you, Aaron-Mele says.
Another tip? Keep an email folder of compliments and achievements. Glance at them when you doubt yourself.
Know Your Triggers
Anxiety eats away at confidence during heated times. It's important to see anxiety-inducing situations ahead of time so you can prepare and protect your confidence.
"Triggers can be endless and vary widely," Aarons-Mele said, citing public speaking or unclear messages from a client or manager. "The key is to identify the situations that make you anxious and how you feel when anxiety kicks in."
Address those feelings by taking actions that will relieve anxiety, such as resolving unclear communication.
Be An Options Generator
All the while, know there's more than one path to success even when stakes are high.
Again, the best way to stop your confidence from waning when it matters most is by calmly reading the situation as it is, not as how you fear it might turn out. Start by collecting more data and information on the situation. Do more analysis, ask for more input from others, and come up with multiple options. "We always want you to have at least four ways to win," Noble said.
"Most of us have a default stance that we tend to go to over and over again," Noble said. "The trick is to pause before engaging and ask yourself whether your default is the best stance to take given the circumstances."
