There are many components that go into being successful, such as planning and goal setting; however, success truly boils down to one thing – CONFIDENCE.

If you aren’t confident in yourself, if you aren’t confident and believe in what you are doing, you will never succeed no matter how well laid out your plan is.

When we believe we can succeed, we WILL succeed because our attitude, our work ethic and our dedication will all mirror our confidence. And our confidence will help us get through the setbacks and plateaus.

When we aren’t confident, we don’t push ourselves as well or commit to a plan in the same way we do when we believe. We also don’t have the same drive to overcome rough patches. Without a belief in ourselves, we tend to let setbacks defeat us.

Confidence creates success just like success creates confidence.

The question is, “How do you enter the confidence and success cycle without having either?”

The answer is simple, “You CHOOSE to be confident.”

When we talk to ourselves and tell ourselves positive things or negative things, we are CHOOSING to build ourselves up or tear ourselves down – we are CHOOSING to be confident or insecure.

When we tell ourselves positive things (even if we don’t completely believe them yet), we are tricking ourselves into believing we are great and wonderful and CONFIDENT. And those positive words will lead to positive attitudes and positive actions. Those positive actions in turn will bring success and true confidence.

However, when we tell ourselves we aren’t good enough, we then start to act that way. And when our attitude is negative, our actions are negative. And negative thoughts and actions create insecurity and failure.

The choice really is yours.

How will you talk to yourself today? Because however you choose to talk to yourself will influence your beliefs and actions. Your brain is really stupid and will believe whatever you CHOOSE to tell it.

If you say, “I can. I will. I’m great,” you will start to act that way. You will start to believe you are great. And you will become exactly what you want to be.

If you say, “I can’t. I won’t. I suck,” your attitude and behaviors will mirror those words. It is really hard to overcome adversity when you tell yourself “I can’t.”

Our thoughts will become our attitude. Our attitude will become our actions. And our actions will push us toward success or failure.

What you tell yourself you are, you will become.

I CHOOSE to be confident. I CHOOSE to love myself. I CHOOSE to believe that I can achieve my dreams and goals.

And guess what?

I CAN. I WILL. I HAVE.

So what are you going to tell yourself today? Do you CHOOSE to be CONFIDENT?