How To Believe It: Constructing Confidence for Future Success No Matter What

I feel like many of us have gone through a lot this week (in so many ways), and I'm seeing how it affects the early career community in real time. Many people are worried, scared, and anxious for their futures, and that's very valid--so many of us grew up thinking that achieving our dreams would be linear. With the job market being extremely volatile coupled with unlearning and learning so much within our 20s, several unpredictable variables affect the plans and timelines of young people's dreams. 

In the words of a famous TikTok (which is another sad ordeal): "The pressure is getting worser." Quite LITERALLY. Just stepping outside into the world to get things done can feel extremely suffocating sometimes. However, we all are going to achieve our dreams in any way we see fit regardless of new obstacles with two things, one of which is confidence.

It's a myth that confidence is something that people naturally have and can't get. 

Everyone can have confidence! Where we lose the plot is not realizing that there is more than one type to master (which is something I learned last year). It's like the infinity stone gauntlet all over again, minus Thanos. All of these types of confidence utilized together change you and in turn, everything around you if you use it wisely.  Just like working to get better at anything in life, it is a practice (and honestly, a sacred one at that.)

So, in the spirit of becoming someone who is consistently working on every area of confidence, I wanted to share the types of confidence I've learned with you. Plus, to make it fun, I referenced anime characters that helped me learn confidence along the way :). 

Type 1 | Self-Confidence 

Self-confidence is your general belief in yourself and your abilities. It's the general confidence we often use to gauge whether we can or want to do something. I argue that it's the most important, because if you don't believe in yourself, then the million-dollar question is this--how can you expect others to?

Self-confidence can easily be perceived as arrogance. They get blurred together allll the time--and for a while, confidence equated to being cocky for me. I always thought that sharing myself and my accomplishments would lead to people thinking less of me and what I could do (ironic right?!).

However, I met two people one summer that changed everything. Well, one sentence they both said changed everything: "Other people's perceptions of my confidence are not my problem."

It felt like the floor fell from under me because it made TOO much sense--how did I miss it myself?!?! That was the first time I got real with myself about my confidence levels, which is something I highly recommend that everyone does too. Sit with yourself and reflect on your levels of confidence--you never know what could surprise you!

At the end of the day: As long as you are confident in your abilities, who you are, and the work you do, you become so much closer to accomplishing your dreams. You are the only person who determines what you can do, and if you're doubting yourself here, read till the end.

Type 2 | A.O.T Confidence 

A.O.T Confidence is an acronym I came up with that not only spells out Attack on Titan but also stands for Action or Task Confidence. This type of confidence is how we show up whenever when it comes to doing work, whether that's professional, academic, etc. When it comes to this type of confidence, I've seen a common theme: Many people are extremely strong here, but are relatively lower in self-confidence. From the nerdy sidekick and popular best friend tropes to knowing people ourselves who are scientific powerhouses without being social butterflies--it's been shared in interesting lights before. In high school, I would definitely call myself an "academic weapon (being so smart it's dangerous)...but not so much of anything else. Take a look at the subsets of AOT confidence:

• Creative Confidence: Successfully finding innovative ways to solve a problem 
• Professional Confidence: Confidence in succeeding in your career 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to leverage your AOT confidence. From tracking your wins from work/school work to creating a cool project based around something you're passionate about--showcase what you can do and let the world know. 

If you're looking for an anime character who showcases AOT Confidence well, watch Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan. 

Type 3 | Social Confidence (SC)

Social confidence is the main type we are all familiar with. Using the trope with AOT, we see its opposing side with social. We focus more on the popular best friends, social butterflies, and what I commonly call the Mr. & Ms. "Make-It-Happens". People with high SC are comfortable being with others in settings if they know them or not. While people with social confidence can be seen as intimidating and SC itself seems daunting to build, here are some sub-sets of social confidence to consider: 

• Awkward Confidence: Being ok with failing or not being perfect in front of others
• Emotional Confidence: Being able to express your thoughts and feelings effectively with others 

Just like with AOT, there are so many ways to leverage social confidence to make you successful. Leaning into relationship building, and comfortable networking helps you navigate finding your fit by finding those people who can help you. 

If you're looking for an anime character who showcases SC Confidence well, Gon from Hunter X Hunter is a great example. 

The Close-Up & Out on Confidence

I know I just shared a lot (literally this is so much longer than my usual posts), but I want to highlight (to me) the most important part of learning and growing in confidence: You don't have to be 100% confident to start achieving your dreams. If you have a goal to reach, your confidence is the first step in the plan of how to get there. The hardest part of the entire confidence journey is not knowing where you lack--but once you find it, it's WAY easier to improve. 

There were 3 times when I wasn't even 25% confident (in all areas) when I went for them.

The results?

I ended up being one of the Top Interns in the US last year, I got to work at one of the most recognized brands in the world, and I got to take a picture and have a 20-minute conversation with Jaden Smith. 

All in 2 years as a college student working to make her future dreams a reality.

No matter what it is, as long as you hold some type of confidence and belief that you can--you will. 

In the words of Naruto: "Believe It!"