To you who think, 'I can't move because I lack confidence'

'I can't move because I don't have any confidence.'

Have you ever found yourself thinking that?

You feel like you sort of understand it. But there is also a feeling that something is holding you back.

When you try to take on a challenge. Even though you have the desire to try,

'Having said that... I don't feel like I can do it.'
'I don't feel like it will go well.'

In that way, your feet come to a stop.

So,
'First, I have to build up my confidence.'
'I have to reach a point where I feel I can do more.'

I think it happens that you try to aim for
'a state of having confidence'
first.

But, just for a moment here.

Is 'having confidence' really
a prerequisite for taking action?

It might be worth facing this question
and pausing for a moment.

▶ It is not necessarily true that you can move because you have confidence

For example, when you look back
on your past self.

Rather than saying you were able to move because you had confidence,

'I moved because I felt like I wanted to do it'
'I was scared, but I tried it anyway'

Hasn't that been your experience more often than not?

In reality,
'I gained confidence after I started moving'

is the order in which things
more naturally tend to happen, isn't it?

▶ When you get stuck on 'whether or not I can do it'

I'm the same way, but there was a time when
the moment I started thinking, 'Can I do this properly?',
I became unable to move.

When you feel like you lack confidence,
you often unconsciously set a standard of
'whether or not I can do it'
and evaluate yourself based on that.

・Will I be able to do it properly?
・Won't I fail?
・Will I be able to do it well?

But when you look at things from this perspective,
you inevitably tend to focus on your 'not-yet-enough self'.

And then,
'I'll do it after I prepare more'
'I'll do it after I gain a little more confidence'
you end up putting off
the timing of when to start moving.

▶ Look at it through 'whether it feels right'
instead of confidence

Here, it might be good to
try looking at things
from a different angle.

That is,
the perspective of 'whether it feels right'
rather than 'whether or not I can do it'.

・I don't know if I can do it well, but I'm interested
・I'm scared, but I want to try it a little
・It's not perfect, but I want to challenge myself as I am now

If you have even the slightest feeling like that,
I think that is already
a 'reason to start moving'.

▶ It is okay to take on a challenge even if you lack confidence

Starting to move while still lacking confidence
is not a mistake at all.

In fact,
the very act of trying to move even when you don't feel confident

in itself,
is an important strength that you already possess.

Instead of saying, 'I won't do it because I don't think I can,'
try saying,

'I don't know if I can do it yet, but I'll give it a try.'

The accumulation of those choices
will quietly create the realization
that 'I did it!' later on.

▶ 'Confidence' is something that comes later

Confidence is not something you prepare in advance,
but something that grows little by little over time.

Therefore, if you currently feel
'I can't move because I lack confidence,'
it is not because you lack the strength.

It may simply be that you have convinced yourself
'I cannot move unless I have confidence.'

▶ Start with small choices

When we hear the word 'challenge,'
we tend to feel pressured to do something big,
but you don't have to start with something big right away.

・Look into something you've been curious about
・Talk to someone about it
・Try working on it for just five minutes

It's okay to start from somewhere that feels easy and light.
It becomes a fact that you have actually 'moved'.

That counts as having 'moved'.

And when you realize it, that accumulation will lead to the feeling of,
'Oh, maybe I can do more than before.'

▶ 'It's okay to start moving even without confidence'

When you are able to tell yourself that.
When those words give you a push.

Surely, the way you start moving
will change little by little.

That change might be quiet.

But I believe it is something certain.

Thank you for reading this article
to the end.

See you again.

▼ Contact us here ▼

I want to be a place where we can look at your 'quiet true feelings' together.
I hope to be one such place.
When you need to, please reach out from here.

Other articles are also organized
by theme according to feelings.

There might be something
close to how you feel right now.
▼　　　　▼　　　　▼