How do you build confidence? One step at a time!

In this article I want to explore this concept in more detail. I want to stress the importance of regularly celebrating and achieving small wins in your life. Each time you have a personal victory in your life, no matter how small, your confidence increases.

Confidence Is Built Through Action, Not Just Mindset

Waiting to feel confident before taking action often leads to stagnation. True confidence grows when you act in spite of doubt and prove to yourself what you’re capable of.

Take Toastmasters as an example. In Toastmasters you step up and do speeches in front of a friendly and supportive audience. Over time this builds your confidence. You learn slowly over time that giving speeches isn’t so scary.

If you don’t take action, your fears, worries, and self-doubts will haunt you. Continuing to procrastinate and not taking steps to overcome those fears will sap your self confidence. As time goes by it may even become harder and harder to take action.

But when you take action, you may find that what you were afraid of isn’t so bad. You will find positive evidence that you are more capable than you think, and this boosts your confidence.

For example, if you take the plunge and present an Ice Breaker speech in Toastmasters (which is the first speech all Toastmasters give), you will push past your fear and discover that speaking in front of audience isn’t so bad. Then your second speech won’t seem as difficult and you will slowly move forward with giving additional speeches and building your confidence as a speaker.

Small Wins Create Momentum and Trust

Consistently completing small, achievable tasks reinforces your sense of progress and builds self-trust. Each win is proof that you can follow through – fueling your belief in what’s possible.

For example, every time you do a speech as a Toastmaster you experience a small win. Each speech builds your confidence and dispels your fears. Over time you may even grown to enjoy speaking in front of an audience, and you will find yourself looking forward to your next speech.

A great way to build momentum is to keep a journal and regularly record the small wins in your life. Even something as small as going for a walk when you didn’t feel like it or getting up in the morning without hitting the snooze button can be a small win. Over time these small wins will compound, and you will feel good about yourself for achieving these small victories.

As you start to experience more wins in your life – no matter how small – you begin to build a track record with yourself. Each win becomes evidence that you can set a goal, take action, and follow through. Over time, this pattern creates something powerful: self-trust.

Self-trust is the foundation of confidence. It’s that quiet assurance that you’ll keep your word to yourself, that you can count on your own effort, and that even when challenges arise, you’ll find a way through. When you consistently experience success, even in small doses, you begin to shift from hoping you can do something to knowing you can.

And the beautiful part is, confidence and self-trust reinforce each other. The more you trust yourself, the more confident you feel in taking action. The more confident you feel, the more likely you are to take bold, meaningful steps toward your goals. It becomes a powerful upward cycle –where small wins create trust, trust fuels confidence, and confidence empowers you to keep moving forward with clarity and courage.

Tracking Progress Reinforces Positive Identity

Monitoring your progress, even in tiny increments, helps solidify the identity of someone who is reliable, capable, and growing. What you measure, you strengthen.

For example, I track my weight, and I also track everything I eat. Every time I lose weight thanks to good eating choices, I can celebrate a small win. Over time this boosts my confidence and makes me feel good about myself.

When you have a goal, taking consistent steps toward it – and tracking those steps – creates a powerful feedback loop. Each action you take is not just movement; it’s a signal to your brain that you’re serious about your goal. And when you measure your progress, you turn vague intentions into clear, visible momentum.

Tracking progress gives you concrete evidence of growth. Instead of wondering whether you’re making headway, you can see it: the workouts you completed, the pages you wrote, the dollars you saved, or the hours you dedicated. This data provides clarity – it tells you what’s working, what needs adjusting, and how far you’ve come. And that clarity builds confidence and motivation.

Most importantly, progress becomes self-reinforcing. Seeing results – even small ones – creates a sense of accomplishment. That feeling encourages you to keep going, because you’re no longer just chasing a distant outcome – you’re seeing yourself become the kind of person who follows through. As a result, each small step not only brings you closer to your goal but also strengthens your identity and fuels your desire to keep growing.

In short, action plus measurement creates momentum – and momentum is what turns goals into realities.

The Confidence Curve Compounds Over Time

Like compound interest, confidence grows slowly at first but accelerates with consistency. Over time, the upward curve becomes exponential – leading to unshakable self-belief and bold, purposeful action.

For example, when I first joined Toastmasters, I was not motivated to present speeches. In fact, it took me three years to do my first five speeches as a Toastmaster. Since then, I have given many speeches, and I am now a confident speaker. In fact, I now give at least one speech every month.

Part of this came from volunteering for club and district leadership roles as a Toastmaster. This pushed me out of my comfort zone and boosted my confidence because I had to take steps to fulfil my responsibilities as a volunteer leader. And when I served as Area Governor back in 2013 and 2014, I was even called on to give speeches at other clubs, which really took me far beyond my comfort zone and drastically boosted my confidence.

Conclusion: Confidence Grows With Every Step You Take

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with – it’s something you build, one small win at a time. Every decision to show up, take action, and follow through is a vote for your belief in yourself. Over time, those small victories compound, transforming self-doubt into self-trust and fear into momentum.

Remember, in Toastmasters we build confidence one speech at a time. Each time you speak you gain new skills and help to conquer your fears. Soon you will enjoy presenting speeches, and you will appear as a confident speaker to your audiences.

You can also develop confidence as a leader by volunteering for Toastmasters officer positions at both the club and district level. This takes you out of your comfort zone and has you taking steps to fulfil your responsibilities. Each small step you take to develop and hone your leadership skills boosts your confidence and helps you to develop new skills.

But small wins are not only possible in Toastmasters. Any small steps you take to further your goals or to take action will boost your confidence. Over time these actions will compound and will strengthen your self-confidence.

So don’t wait for confidence to arrive before you act – act to create it. Stay consistent, celebrate your progress, and keep climbing your own confidence curve. You’re becoming stronger, step by step – and that’s the kind of belief no one can take from you.