Confidence is domain specific

#31 on confidence, being a beginner and facing challenges

Author

Hannah Wilson
August 05, 2024

Hey 2,770+ friends, it’s Hannah here from Quoted Visually 🤍

Welcome to another issue of Floating Thoughts. I’m away right now so I’ve scheduled these in advance for you to enjoy. Big love to you. Let’s go ⤵︎

It's easy to think about confidence in a binary way as if we’re either a confident person or we’re not. But it isn’t a blanket term.

In reality, confidence can relate to our ability to succeed in one area.

And therefore, a lack of confidence for something is just inexperience because competence precedes confidence.

If we improve our skill set, we will inevitably grow in confidence in the areas that we feel we lack. It's just that we're not confident ‘yet’.

Let me share a story… 🐘

Before we left to go travelling, my boyfriend expressed how he felt nervous about meeting these strangers in our tour group, rightly so people are strange, but he's a teacher?

He's always talking in front of groups of people?

On other hand, I will happily walk in a room and talk to anyone, but the thought of teaching to a class of students makes me want to take a hike.

🔔 We’re both confident different areas!

Ali Abdaal has spoken about this concept before here.

Don’t let your lack of confidence deter you from trying. All the experts start out as beginners.

🗞️ Update

As you read this, I will be in India. Let’s hope I don’t have the dreaded Delhi belly, but let’s be honest, I packed plenty of Immodium 😳 💩🚽

I’m on one of those organised travel tours. It’s a huge privilege. 

📍 Postcards from Sri Lanka

The early starts, long bus rides and hostel hops do inevitably challenge me and can result in anxiety flare-ups, but this is exactly why I’m doing it…

5 years ago, I was in a serious incident whilst travelling. I’m proud to be back with the same company again.

We experience the most growth when we lean into the challenges that we face.

Like when I recently did my first in-person podcast with Alice Benham:

Before I went into London, mentally I was trying to get out of doing it:

  • I was worried that the timing wasn’t right

  • that I wouldn’t deliver enough value,

  • or be able to bring my full energy 🪫

I was feeling tired and really wanted to NAIL IT!!

Yet, I showed up anyway…

I put on a dress that made me happy, and gave it my best shot, and no shit Sherlock, this was more than was enough 💃

We can put so much pressure on ourselves to make sure that everything is ‘right’, but the ‘perfect’ conditions we wait for don’t exist.

I’ve come away with:

  • strength I didn’t know I had,

  • clarity on my area of expertise,

  • and so many more things to say.

Here’s your reminder to DO THE THING! It's probably more fun than you think ❤️

If that involves learning to visualise ideas, I can help you:

That’s a wrap! Reply to this email if you have any questions, requests or feedback. I will respond when I’m back at the end of August. Made with Beehiiv (aff link) 🐝 

Big love,

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