Repetition Builds Confidence
Elite athletes, performers, and public speakers often come to mind when thinking about practicing to improve performance. We consider the hours, days, years of energy and dedication to ones area of expertise, perhaps without considering how we can apply these habits in our own lives.
Repetition boosts confidence.
In all areas of life, if you look closely, you will see that repeating behaviors is a boost to your confidence.
Remember when you first learned how to drive a car? You had no concept of how much you needed to learn, did you? Then, when you first sat behind the wheel, you realized that you were actually completely incompetent! But with practice, practice and more practice, you increased your confidence, to the point where eventually you started driving ‘on auto pilot’ … Soon enough, changing lanes or thinking about which foot is on which pedal became a sort of ‘innate’ behavioural experience, improving your skill and confidence.
The point is this, not every human being is born with confidence. Surprisingly enough, it’s a learned trait that can be practised over and over.
Imagine, as little toddlers if we gave up the repetition of getting up and falling down, over and over again. We would all be crawling adults right now. And for those of you who do have toddlers, when they ask you to read that story, or play that game over and over again, remind yourself that repetition provides the practice that children need to master new skills. Repetition helps to improve speed, increases confidence, and strengthens the connections in the brain that help individuals learn. …And it’s the key to your self-confidence!
Self-confidence is the foundation of all great success…
Self-confidence is important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet many people struggle to find it. Let me ask you this: how would you feel with more confidence? What would you be doing that you are not currently doing? How different would your life look right now?
There is so much research now that tells us that the more confident individuals, leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners are, the more successful their achievements and the happier they are in their personal and professional life.
And the one trait they have in common is this: Setting a small goal, a totally achievable one — which moves them forward, steadily, one step at a time. Each and every one of us is capable of building confidence. There isn’t a one set rule on how to raise your self-confidence — your path towards it will be as unique as you are.
I think Carol Dweck sends a very strong message when she says that if parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, to be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong skill — the ability to build and repair their own confidence. In essence, they’ll have resilience, no matter what comes their way.
Have the confidence to fail…
Raising your own confidence is about trying something new, without the ‘fear’ of making a mistake — because, if you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, you’ll know that there is ‘NO FAILURE — only feedback! When we make mistakes and we actually learn to embrace them, then we open ourselves to the possibility of learning. When we learn, we grow and build deeper confidence.
So, as an experiment, try something new. Double Dare yourself if you’re game, and remember to have fun with it! The important thing, is taking action! When we dare ourselves, there is something in the brain that creates movement and then the task at hand becomes light and entertaining… and we don’t get bogged down in the mindset of ‘what if?’ exploring all the possibilities that could go wrong!
When you decide to do something, and then actually go out and make it real, you give your brain proof of your own talent and capabilities and this boosts your confidence! And then, the way to really nail this new talent and embed it deep into your brain is to do it again and again and again …. Repetition will help you master the skill!
Practice, practice, practice, makes perfect…
So, now it’s your turn… What do you choose? Decide how you’re going to challenge yourself with something new, and just go for it! Sewing a dress? Growing tomatoes? Cooking a fabulous dish? Skydiving? Committing to meditating daily? Asking him out?
When you approach these kinds of changes in your life with a curious mindset, then you’re less likely to get stressed or beat yourself up if things don’t fall into place immediately. (This, by the way, is exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve!)
A friend of mind approaches new challenges like a science experiment — she sets out her goal and her plan of attack and then every day she spends a few minutes analysing her progress and taking notes in a journal. She approaches the progress she’s making with a genuine sense of inquisitiveness at the way it’s all unfolding. This sets her up to automatically ask herself — What am I learning? What do I want to do differently? How can I approach this from another perspective?
These are all good questions to ask yourself, too. And you don’t need to go into this kind of detail (she says it helps her stay focused) but you can just spend a few minutes each day, reviewing where you’re at and where you want to be. Be patient with yourself as you rewire your brain for confidence! Be kind to yourself, laugh at situations, and remember it’s all a learning opportunity. And, because that’s why we’re here having this human experience for, no learning opportunity is ever wasted. Ultimately, you’ll find an increase in your confidence and soon you’ll discover that beautiful, powerful light in you.
I find it fascinating that our brains can change. I was raised with the belief that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” However, I have always questioned this and, not too long ago, neuroscientists discovered that creating new behaviors can be done by rewiring the brain.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires lifestyle behavior changes. As clinicians, it is very useful to provide information and education about diabetes to our patients. But in order to elicit positive behavior change, it is important to understand the science behind it. I have been able to personally achieve my health goals and professionally empower my patients to reach their health goals by understanding the neuroscience of behavior change.
What does behavior change look like in the brain?
Neural pathways, comprised of neurons connected by dendrites, are created in the brain based on our habits and behaviors. The number of dendrites increases with the frequency a behavior is performed. I picture these neural pathways as deep grooves or roads in our brain. Our brain cells communicate with each other via a process called “neuronal firing.”
Psychologist Deann Ware, Ph.D., explains that when brain cells communicate frequently, the connection between them strengthens and “the messages that travel the same pathway in the brain over and over begin to transmit faster and faster.” With enough repetition, these behaviors become automatic. Reading, driving, and riding a bike are examples of complicated behaviors that we do automatically because neural pathways have formed.
Just because patients have formed neural pathways does not mean that they are stuck with those habits forever. As patients participate in new activities, they are training their brains to create new neural pathways. The pathways get stronger with repetition until the behavior is the new normal.
The importance of repetition
In terms of repetition, it is estimated that it takes 10,000 repetitions to master a skill and develop the associated neural pathway. As clinicians, we can encourage and support repetition when our patients are working to achieve their health goals.
It is estimated that it takes 3–6 months for a new behavior to become a habit, though this estimate varies by person. As clinicians, we can encourage patients that, with time, their repetition will pay off when their behavior becomes natural. As coaches, we can continue to provide strategies for overcoming barriers, help to create back-up plans, and provide support while our patients take on new goals towards better health.
Every brain is different
It is important to understand that every brain is different. Each person has their own unique experiences that have shaped their brain and continue to shape it throughout their lives. Therefore, it really is important to listen to the patient individually to understand their unique experiences and values in order to help them develop a clear plan for achieving their health goals.
Developing new neural pathways
Connecting a new behavior to as many areas of the brain as possible helps to develop new neural pathways. By tapping into all five senses, we can create “stickiness” that helps form neural pathways.
We all have experiences that changed us. We can recall the sensations: the images, smells, how we felt, etc. When working with patients consider having patients connect their successes or health goals to as many senses as possible.
Visualization can be a very powerful sense that can help patients build new neural pathways toward behavior change. For example, ask patients to visualize what their optimal health looks like, feels like, and what they would be doing if their diabetes was managed.
Another example is to ask patients to recall a positive experience with diabetes. Have them elaborate on as many emotions and senses as possible. Ask what they learned about themselves and how they can apply those learnings to achieve their desired health goals.
Modifying the brain to stay positive
In Dr. Rick Hanson’s Hardwiring Happiness, the neuropsychologist explains that our brains are wired toward the negative. For example, if we have ten experiences during the day, five neutral everyday experiences, four positive experiences, and one negative experience, we are probably going to think about that one negative experience before going to bed that night.
Knowing this tendency, how can we change our brains to focus on the good experiences? Hardwiring Happiness gives practical advice for maintaining the positive. One strategy is to focus on the good for 10–20 seconds, really absorbing and storing the experience in our long-term memory.
Personally, after reading his book and practicing his four suggested steps, I am convinced that I have developed strong neural pathways from “taking in the good” and that my life has changed for the better. I practice mindfulness of good experiences and spend 20–30 seconds really absorbing the good — not just in my mind, but in my body by focusing on sensations and emotions.
For example, when I see a rainbow or the wildflowers on the side of the highway, I used to simply notice, then say, “Wow, how beautiful,” and move on. Now, I stop, spend 20–30 seconds taking in the beauty and absorbing it so that the experience lands in my long-term memory.
According to Barbara Frederickson of the University of North Carolina, people are much more likely to make changes when new behaviors are associated with positive emotions. We like positive reinforcement, which enables us to be creative and open to trying new things.
Helping patients develop SMART goals with small action steps can encourage positive emotions that lead to success. “Taking in the good” with our patients by celebrating with them when they are successful with their SMART goals helps reinforce positive emotions.
Any change can be unsettling, even a desired one. It is essential to understand the patient’s vision of success in order to set SMART goals. Throughout the process of behavior change and neural rewiring, it helps to encourage hard work and celebrate success, so that patients can obtain sustainable progress towards their health goals.
