To Achieve It You Have to Believe That You CAN: How Psychology and Daily Habits Transform Your Mindset"

Harnessing Psychology, Neuroscience, and Daily Habits to Build Unshakable Confidence

When it comes to accomplishing our goals, we tend to focus on taking action. I believe something else should come first. You have to believe you can do it. Fully and unapologetically. You have to let go of limiting beliefs, those that float in the back of your mind and hold you back - like, “I’m not good enough,” “it’ll be cringy,” “being seen is scary,” etc. Believing you CAN will empower every move you make. The wind beneath your wings as you soar toward accomplishing your goals.

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Often, we don't realize that self-doubt stems from past experiences, (our perception of) others' opinions, and our own observations. Maybe you believe something isn't possible because you didn't have the same opportunities as others, or you think it's too late due to your age. But here's the truth: with the right mindset, consistent effort, and practice, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

The Science Behind Self-Belief

Psychologist Albert Bandura established the concept of self-efficacy—the belief in your ability to achieve goals and overcome challenges. This mindset can be a powerful foundation for building confidence and pursuing your dreams. Self-efficacy can influence how we set goals, respond to setbacks, and face challenges. Bandura shared four ways to build self-efficacy: mastery experiences (successfully completing tasks), vicarious experiences (learning through others), verbal persuasion (encouragement), and emotional regulation 1,7, 19.

According to research done by Carol Dweck, believing abilities can improve through effort fosters resilience and goal pursuit. Fostering a growth mindset encourages resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, allowing one to view challenges as opportunities to grow and failure as an opportunity to learn 2, 8, 14. A growth mindset is a belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through effort, strategies, and learning, while a fixed mindset believes traits are not changeable and talents can’t be acquired. A growth mindset promotes self-development over seeking validation or approval from others and helps maintain an optimistic outlook overall. As Hellen Keller once said: “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

People with a growth mindset understand effort is essential for achievement and understand that success comes from dedication and hard work. On the other hand, those with a fixed mindset believe true talent should require minimal effort. Carol Dweck said “effort is one of the most important things in life for achievement. The harder you work at something, the better you’ll be at it.” Reflecting on core values and the beliefs you’re nurturing activates brain regions associated with self-worth and positive valuation, reinforcing the belief in yourself 2, 8, 17.

How Your Brain Supports Self-Belief

Neuroscience further explains how this works and shows how belief in yourself is not just psychological, but physiological, as well. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) is responsible for self-related processing, self-concept, and confidence estimation. It’s activated during reflection on personal goals, evaluating oneself, and thinking about the future, helping to shape a good self-image 4, 6.

Studies reveal that people with higher self-esteem show less sensitivity to negative feedback and rely more on positive feedback in the mPFC, reinforcing confidence4. So don’t sweat it when you receive negative feedback. Take it as a learning opportunity and move forward. Practice self-reflection, journaling, and using affirmations or visualizing success to engage the mPFC, like a muslce. This aids in processing positive self concepts and strengthening the neural connections associated with confidence.

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The ventral striatum, involved in reward processing and motivation, reinforces self-belief through positive feedback loops. Anticipation of rewards activates this part of the brain, releasing dopamine, which boosts motivation and reinforces effort. To “hack” this, set small, achievable goals and create frequent opportunities for reward anticipation and success 4, 6. Celebrate your wins! Even the small ones. This should trigger dopamine release and strengthen the reward-feedback loop.