Self Belief: The Foundation for Lasting Change

You know deep down that you want more.

You dream of spending your days feeling happy, relaxed and helping people on your own terms.

But lets be honest, at the moment that’s all it is, a dream.

An unrealistic dream that isn’t worth thinking about because you live in the real world, not the world of make believe.

That world is for kids that don’t know any better and psychotic people right?

The thing is that everyone that’s transitioned into a fulfilling career has had the same kind of dreams that you have.

The only difference between you and them is that they believe they can make those dreams a reality without the real life evidence.

If you often find yourself daydreaming about a better reality but resist any action required to achieve it, it's a sign that you lack self-belief.

Most people think their current circumstances are what prevent them from making big changes. Whether it’s:

• Their finances
• Their dependents
• Their qualifications

In reality, the biggest obstacle is their own doubt.

They see others thriving in new careers, building their dream businesses, or breaking free from the status quo – And they assume those people must have some special talent or advantage.

The truth is those who succeed don’t start their journey as the people you see now. They started just as clueless as you and gained confidence over time by figuring it out.

Self-belief is the foundation for change. Without it, every challenge feels insurmountable, and every failure reinforces the idea that you aren’t capable.

Developing self-belief unlocks an unstoppable energy that carries you through difficulty, uncertainty, and fear.

And the good news is that whatever your level of self belief is now you can increase it over time to match whatever your dream is in life.

You only believe in the reality you’re currently living - but you don’t realise the reality you’re living is being created by what you believe. 

 

 

Self Belief Case Studies 

I’ve seen firsthand how self-belief transforms lives - not just in my own journey but in the lives of my coaching clients.

1. Procrastination

Last week a client was feeling down because she couldn’t find any time for her personal goals. Multiple tasks overwhelmed her and lead to procrastination. She thought she was too disorganised to get anything done. But after coaching she committed to schedule just one hour of focused work into her day. After that hour she saw how much progress she’d made and she began to believe in herself. She realised the time she’d previously spent feeling overwhelmed was time that she was now spending doing the focused work.

2. Analysis Paralysis

Another client had a habit of overthinking everything to the point of paralysis. Secretly he didn’t believe in his ability to take action so compensated for this by ‘thinking’. We directed his thoughts towards small simple actions that he could complete. A week later, he told me

“I can actually do things!”

Although those first few actions were small they created self belief. With this he was able to complete bigger more challenging actions and drive towards his dream.

3. Stage Fright

And finally I also experienced the power of self-belief last week when I did my first ever live stream on Linked-in live.

I used to get so anxious at the thought of trying to live stream like a charismatic professional streamer.  I thought that’s just not something I can do, I didn’t believe it was possible. But over the course of the past year I’ve been gradually putting myself out there little by little and growing my self-belief. I’ve cheered for myself the same way I do for my clients to the point that I believed a live stream was possible for me to do.

How to Build Self-Belief

Unconditional Positive Regard

It all starts with unconditional positive regard. All humans need this to truly thrive and reach their potential. It’s a feeling of knowing that however badly you mess up you’ll still be supported, loved and safe.

Attachment theory researcher look at the early relationships between children and caregivers. They've found that unconditional positive regard expressed by parents promotes a secure attachment. This security gives children the courage to explore the world, learn and experience new things.

In coaching we create the same relationship. Think of it as someone giving you the certainty that you lack when it comes to feeling like you’ll be successful. Coaches see the positive potential within you that you can’t and influence you to believe in yourself.

Unconditional Positive Regard ➡  Courage ➡  Action  ➡ Self-Belief

Greater Purpose

Self-belief isn’t something you wake up with one day - it’s something you acquire after you’ve been successful.

And you can only be successful at something if you actually do it.

But the chances are you’ll fail if doing something new right?

Think about how many times you failed at inserting cannulas into patients before you were successful?

Failure didn’t stop you from trying because you knew you’d never be successful with out it. And without being successful you couldn’t complete training as doctor.

This is the greater goal that gave you the courage to keep trying until you started to believe in yourself.

How many successes until you’d take only one cannula in the tray because you believed you’d always get it right first time?

A baby doesn’t get up and start walking because they have no doubts they'll be successful. All a baby cares about is being able to move around and explore more efficiently.

Greater Purpose ➡ Courage ➡ Action ➡ Self-Belief

8 ways to strengthen your self belief:

1. Make small, intentional actions – Don’t aim for giant leaps; start with micro-actions. Small wins compound over time and create momentum.

2. Adopt a Growth Mindset – When faced with a challenge, remind yourself that every difficulty is an opportunity for learning and growth.

3. Practice Self-Compassion – If you fail or struggle, don’t beat yourself up. Speak to yourself with kindness and encouragement, just as you would to a friend.

4. Commit to One Challenging Task Per Week – Write it down, do it, and reflect on what went well and what you learned. This builds self-awareness and resilience.

5. Reframe Failure – Instead of seeing failure as a reflection of your worth, view it as feedback. It’s temporary, specific, and fixable.

6. Change Your Self-Talk – Consciously reinforce positive beliefs about yourself. Recognise your progress and remind yourself of past wins.

7. Take Responsibility – The more you hold yourself accountable for your actions, the more you respect your own capability to create change.

8. Pursue Authentic Self-Expression – Align your actions with your true values rather than striving for an idealised fake version of yourself. When you live authentically, self-belief follows naturally.

Conclusion: The Power of Believing in Yourself

The power of self belief is that you can do anything you truly want to do in life without having to restrict yourself. Its the single most important factor in making lasting change. Without it, you stay stuck in doubt, constantly questioning your potential. But when you cultivate self-belief, you become unstoppable. You start seeing opportunities to grow instead of roadblocks. You take action despite fear. And most importantly, you start to live life on your own terms.

The world benefits from you achieving your unique potential and you inspire others to believe in whats possible for them.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take one small step forward today. Because with every step you take, you’re proving to yourself that you are capable of far more than you once believed.

Thats all for now, 

Stay Healthy, 

Lewis