TT's Confidence Jar
So... The other day I happened to see on social media a swimming related podcast about Missy Franklin on 'Being a champion in victory & defeat' this included mention of her 'Confidence Jar'
Find the podcast here:
and a related post here: https://www.yourswimlog.com/missy-franklin-confidence-jar/
Me being a curious kind of swimmer, I wondered what that was all about and of course had to listen / read on.... to find some great reminders of some confidence building ideas that have been around in various forms and under different names for many years. Some I have used (eg. Visualisation and Imagery) but some, like the Confidence Jar, I haven't tried, up until now that is!!
It's a relatively simple premise to help you feel confident in your abilities to achieve your goals and conquer the world.. or at least your chosen corner of it! The really great thing about it is that it needn't be just about swimming (although lets be honest, for me... most things are about swimming!). The idea can work for pretty much anything you are aiming to achieve!
Find a Jar (here's mine, it's been sitting in the cupboard for some time now without purpose), label it (decorate it if you fancy!) and keep it somewhere handy... You're going to fill it with positivity and memory joggers to build your confidence!
Every time you hit a target, crack a new PB, achieve an outcome you worked for, receive some positive feedback from your friends, clients, colleagues or swim coach, grab a piece of paper and write it down. When something happens that makes you smile, feel proud and strong.... grab a piece of paper and write it down. In just a few words jot down what happened? how did you feel? No matter how big or small the event, get it into the jar! and before you know it...
Hey presto... you have a 'go-to' jar of great stuff to help you whenever you need it. When you're feeling a bit wobbly, when you've got a big event coming, when something hasn't gone quite the way you wanted it to... open the jar and take a look at all the things that you have achieved. Remind yourself of all that is possible.
You are brilliant and you CAN do it..... Go on... you've got this!
PS. The podcast is really worth listening to in it's entirety but if you're pressed for time you could skip through the ads and blurb to 6m44 for the actual start of the interview!... Imagery and visualisation are at about 11mins in, being 'my best' vs being 'the best is at about 38mins in and the Confidence Jar is at about 1h05m30s in... enjoy!
