What does it mean to bet on yourself?

It’s not about being the riskiest or literally making a bet. It’s about being aware, it’s about knowing that everything that happens in your life depends solely and exclusively on you. That you must be the first to believe in your goals and work to make them come true.

Betting on yourself is acting accordingly towards the goal you want to achieve, always honoring your values. And it’s the safest bet you’ll ever make since the reward is not just what you get at the end, but everything you gain along the way.

Why is betting on yourself a win-win?

Betting on yourself is all advantage. While it does not guarantee a 100% success rate, it does ensure that you will have moments of peace and harmony with yourself because you cultivate confidence in yourself and in what you do, and that leads to full happiness.

It doesn’t mean that you will achieve all your goals, but it does increase your chances to do so because your struggle and your effort increase. And with them, your motivation, persistence, tolerance for failure, and passion will grow as well. And those are key ingredients to succeed in whatever you set out to do.

Understanding that no one has all the answers to begin with

Betting on yourself is also about not being so hard on yourself. It’s about understanding that it’s okay not to have all the answers to all your questions, but you do appreciate that you are doing your best to find them. It means loving both versions of you: the one who knows where you’re going and exactly what to do to get there, and the one who goes through life aimlessly.

It is realizing that in this wandering, even when we are not sure what the next step is, our intentions and principles are always the best. We want the best for the business, the family, the customers, or ourselves, and yes, we wander around but do not stop until we find our way. For many people, this may seem like the path to failure. But for someone committed, who believes in themselves, it is the door to innovation, to the greatest ideas, to a huge desire to try again and again until changing your life with the results.

“Nothing worthwhile has ever been achieved with a guarantee of success.”
– John F. Kennedy

If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

The title says it all. The first one who must believe in yourself, in your ideas and defend them, is you. If you are doubtful, insecure, it will be hard to get the support you need. It is not about seeking others’ approval in every corner, but confidence is the only way to attract more people on board.

Betting on something you believe in ultimately means you’re betting on yourself. If in the end, things don’t turn out the way you expected, of course, you’ll feel bad, but at least you know you had the guts to try.

On the other hand, if you bet on something you don’t believe in and it goes wrong, you will feel twice as bad. Why? First, because of the failure, and second, because you didn’t listen to yourself.

Keys to improve your self-confidence

There are 3 fundamental keys that will help you cultivate self-confidence. These are:

Focus on your accomplishments

Since you are good enough to be your own judge and criticize your mistakes, you should also applaud every small achievement with the same enthusiasm. At the end of the day, whether it is a small task or a huge project, with a lot of help or with your own hands, in a long time or in two clicks, it was possible thanks to your knowledge, conviction, and action. You should be the first to recognize your achievements and use them as a trampoline to push yourself to the next level.

Avoid comparisons

No matter what happens around you, the only thing that should matter is what happens with you. If you look to the sides, let it be to look for inspiration, to congratulate your peers, to fill yourself with good vibes and ideas. Living with metrics, looking for faults or reasons why you lack what someone else has too much of, is just wasting your time. Dedicate those hours and that effort to you and what you do.

Learn from your mistakes

Failure leaves us with the beautiful reward of at least have found the courage to try. It helps us to see what we should not do and consequently, it teaches us the right path to follow. Be grateful for the opportunity you had, take all the good that it left you with, and move on.

Final thoughts

Sometimes the motivation and dedication to see it through to the end fade halfway through. When things and times get tough, do you let someone else fix everything for you or decide for you what to do? Or do you trust that only you can make the best decision for you? That’s what it’s all about! Taking control of our lives and trusting that we have it all to lead us to our desired destination, even in the toughest moments. It’s about believing in yourself even when no one else does.

Don’t believe me, I speak for myself! This is the first blog post in 2022. How many people thought I would keep posting when I started? How many people have read me so far? Well, I’m still working hard on this, even though I’m doing everything involved in the production of the Batey Descending audiobook at the same time.

I continue to be firm and consistent, I continue to bet on myself, on what I have been able to do so far with the help of a few, but valuable people, and a limited budget. I am betting on what all this can become in the future.