Introduction

1.1 Personal Confidence and Motivation in the Business World

One of the most commonly debated and researched fields in the business world is motivation. Why do people do what they do and how can we motivate others to do what we need them to do in the business place? If we understand how and why people are motivated, we can encourage them to be their best and do their best at work. The more that people are motivated to be successful and achieve the goals set for them, the more their confidence in their own abilities will grow as well, which can, in turn, make them even more motivated.

But you can also work on your own confidence and motivation in the workplace in order to achieve your goals and intentions. When people are confident and motivated at work, there are many positive factors that result in the workplace:

• Job satisfaction improves
• Effort increases
• Working environment improves
• Results are the focus
• Drive is created
• Everyone’s full potential can be tapped
• Everyone is certain of the role they are to fulfill

1.2 Personal Confidence

We all know people who are confident. They seem to face life’s obstacles with a level of calm that is enviable. They get into action to respond to a problem before giving themselves time to dwell or worry too much. Confident people are more successful at work because they have a belief in their own abilities to the point that they feel comfortable handling whatever comes at them. Make a presentation to the board? No problem – the confident person plans and executes the presentation without allowing fear to stop them. When someone is confident, they:

• Focus on their strengths while managing their weaknesses
• Aren’t afraid to take risks
• Enjoy challenging themselves and setting high goals
• Seek out self-improvement opportunities
• Aren’t afraid to admit when they make a mistake
• Aren’t afraid to acknowledge when they don’t know something
• Make good team leaders or mentors
• Can relate to customers or company members at any level of the organization
• Are honest about their shortcomings

1.3 Personal Motivation

All of us have a desire to achieve something in our lives. We want to know that we have achieved something important, of value, of quality, or of meaning. Being motivated to meet our goals means that we are able to:

• Improve our self-confidence
• Enhance our self-discipline
• Set examples for ourselves of what we can achieve
• Challenge ourselves to stretch beyond our perceived limits
• Reward ourselves for reaching our goals
• Enjoy the recognition or perks associated with reaching our goals

The more that we are able to achieve, the more self-confident we become. Then the more self-confident we become, the more we are able to achieve. The reverse can happen if we fail to meet our goals. If we fall short of achieving something, we may experience a dip in our self-confidence levels, which in turn may impact our motivation to try again. Understanding this relationship between motivation and self confidence is important if you want to be able to improve either trait in yourself.

1.4 Defining Confidence

People sometimes confuse confidence with arrogance. The arrogant person is usually actually an insecure person and their arrogance is a way to hide their insecurities. Where an arrogant person is boastful, a confident person has no need to boast – they know that their achievements speak for themselves. Where an arrogant person will have trouble admitting they were wrong, a confident person is perfectly willing to admit when they are wrong – they know that the admission doesn’t diminish their value or their abilities. If an arrogant person tends to focus on looking good or appearing to be the best, a confident person focuses on being the best and doing the best.

1.5 Defining Motivation

A simple definition for motivation is that it is a description of a person’s motive to action. You can have a low level of motivation to perform an action, for example, if you are taking a long time to complete a project or even to begin it. But if you have drive towards a goal, objective, or target, we talk about you having positive motivation. Those who are highly motivated to achieve things in their lives are also likely to be more fulfilled as they accomplish the things that are important to them in their lives.

1.6 An Overview of this Ebook

This ebook will examine the interactions of self-confidence and motivation so that you are able to use one to enhance the other. We’ll examine theories about self-confidence and motivation before looking at ways to improve both. Then we’ll look at what’s involved in making personal changes and how to set powerful goals that will help you be more successful.