Confidence Article for Mamas

There are Less than 6 Degrees of Separation Between Study Skills

If you know the idea of Six Degrees of Separation, you know that it means anyone on the planet can be connected to anyone else on the planet with only six steps. That may not be entirely true; it’s not been proven, but it’s fun to think about! However, I can tell you that many of the study skills you and your teen need are only one degree apart.

This month, we’re looking at confidence.

Confidence can be defined as the belief or trust that a person or thing is reliable. Taking it a step further, self-confidence is trust in oneself. Mama, you need self-confidence and so does your teen. It is confidence that lets you try new things and make good decisions. Good decisions and new experiences help you and your teen grow. Learning happens from new experiences, and you should never stop learning. That’s just one reason confidence matters.

Confidence is important because it affects another learning skill, resilience. Without confidence, resilience is less likely. It’s tough to bounce back when you don’t believe you can. Confidence can help you overcome setbacks and even failures.

Do you have the mindset that you can do it? Or, do you believe it’s impossible?

Confidence lets you think, “I didn’t do it this time, but I CAN do it next time.” Mindset and confidence go hand in hand. If self-confidence is trusting yourself, then why not tell yourself that you are capable? Remember that confidence matters in your life and affects what you want to achieve, but it also affects your children. Do they see you taking things on that might be difficult? You are their role model. If you can do it, there’s a good chance they’ll believe they can too.

There are activities that your children aren’t ready to do yet, but if they make offers to do things, make sure to consider it and see if it is time for them to try.

My mama tells a story about me when I was five. We were on a 700 mile road trip to my grandparents. At one point during the ride, I looked at mama and said, “You look tired. I can drive.” I didn’t get to drive that day, mama said she had it under control, but by making the offer, mama knew that I had confidence. I also had resilience because I can remember offering to drive a lot more times before I ever got my permit lol

If confidence is only one step from resilience, it is also only a step away from motivation. Motivation is important to all of us. It is what propels us forward into doing things we don’t always think we can do. Having confidence means you can look back at the things you have already accomplished and recognize those skills and the growth that accompanied them. Those accomplishments give you confidence, and that confidence can motivate you to go even further.

If you have a dream, confidence can help make it happen. Remember that confidence is trust in oneself. That trust grows as you accomplish more things. That confidence allows you to take more risks and ask more from yourself. It is motivational because you’ve found success before. There is no reason you cannot find more success in the future!

Confidence is important because without it brilliant minds and ideas can be lost or hidden. Maybe you’ve heard of Marie Curie, a woman who won two Nobel Prizes during her lifetime. She had confidence. When she wasn’t allowed to continue her studies in Poland, she moved to Paris. Her studies in radioactivity changed the world. She had trust in her abilities, wasn’t afraid to be resilient, and the world benefited.

We’ve talked about resilience, mindset, and motivation.

These are incredible skills to have and build using confidence, but did you know confidence can even affect your health? Studies show that confidence can help you live longer. Individuals who report feeling confident are often healthier. Having confidence helps you cope with fear and anxiety about specific events. Being out of your comfort zone is far less stressful when you have confidence. Little things don’t matter nearly as much. In some cases, confidence helps you avoid risky behaviors. A confident person might not take up smoking because she doesn’t need smoking to help her cope with stress. The same can be said about drinking or drug usage.

Confidence isn’t a cure all, but it is able to impact your daily life. Confidence is what lets you ask a question in a meeting instead of hoping someone else will (hello self-advocacy!). Confidence is what lets you assert yourself when being overlooked in a customer service situation. Confidence is what lets you apply for a job knowing that you can do the job well whether you have all the qualifications listed or not because you know you can learn and are willing to work hard.

2025 is fast approaching. If you don’t have confidence, that needs to change for you and for your children. If you need to sit down and make a list of your accomplishments, do it. Thinking big is good, but little things can build confidence, too.

What is it that you want to accomplish? Goals are another study skill one degree of separation away from confidence. With confidence, you can take on the challenge and reach your next goal. With one step at a time, trusting that you can do it (confidence), talking to yourself positively (positive self-talk), and using resilience, you will make things happen. Developing confidence will help you develop yourself. You can do it!

Forever Learning,

Jessyka Coulter

CEO & Founder, Ace Cookie Tutoring