Many people think confidence is a personality trait. Some people are “born confident,” while others
are not. But in reality, confidence is not a personality — it’s a result of preparation and practice.
Most of the time, when we lack confidence, there is a very simple reason:
we either don’t have enough knowledge, don’t have enough experience, or haven’t practiced
recently.
Confidence is not magic. It’s a very predictable process.
Why We Lose Confidence
Think about a simple example: driving a car.
I used to drive, but it has been a very long time since I last sat behind the wheel. Because of that, I
now feel a strong fear when I even think about driving again. My mind immediately imagines all
the possible risks and mistakes.
But the fear is not because driving is impossible.
It’s because I’m out of practice.
When we don’t do something for a long time, our brain loses the sense of control. And when we
lose the sense of control, confidence disappears.
This happens in many areas:
• speaking in meetings
• presenting ideas
• communicating in English
The good news is that confidence can be rebuilt.
Step 1: Acquire Knowledge
The first step toward confidence is understanding what to do.
When we lack knowledge, everything feels uncertain. We don’t know what the right approach is,
what structure to use, or what techniques work best.
Knowledge reduces that uncertainty.
For example, when learning communication skills, knowledge might include:
• how to structure your message clearly
• how to explain reasons logically
• how to open and close conversations effectively
Once you understand the techniques, the task becomes less mysterious. Instead of guessing, you
have a clear system to follow.
Step 2: Turn Knowledge Into Experience
However, knowledge alone does not create confidence.
You can read ten books about swimming, but you won’t feel confident until you enter the water.
The same is true for communication. You need hands-on experience.
This means:
• practicing speaking
• applying techniques in real conversations
• making mistakes and adjusting
• repeating the process again and again
Each time you practice, your brain collects evidence that you can handle the situation.
That evidence becomes confidence.
Step 3: Keep Practicing to Protect Your Confidence
Confidence is not something you gain once and keep forever without effort.
Just like muscles in the body, confidence grows stronger when you use it — and weaker when you
stop.
If you stop practicing for a long time, hesitation slowly returns.
That’s why the final step is continuity.
Confidence becomes permanent when practice becomes a habit.
Confidence Is Not a Mystery
Many people wait for confidence to appear before they act.
But the truth is the opposite:
Confidence comes after action.
First you learn.
Then you practice.
Then you keep practicing.
And slowly, almost without noticing, confidence becomes part of who you are.
Veritas Coach
Mariia Kovalchuk
Born and raised in a small city of Russia Mariia had bigger dreams of living and working abroad. She knew that English language will open the doors of opportunities so she put a lot of effort into learning the language and soon was admitted into Korea University in Seoul. There she chose to pursue the bachelor of Business Administration conducted in English while also learning Korean language. After graduation Mariia was brought to Japan for an internship where she discovered Veritas. The mission of Veritas to help broaden life opportunities with English language spoke directly to Mariia’s experiences and believes. Here she hopes to inspire and motivate the student as well as her colleagues to not be afraid of the change and live life to the fullest.
