Q: My trainer says I need to ‘just be confident,’ but I don’t know how to make myself feel confident. Can confidence be learned?

A: Absolutely, confidence can be developed systematically. While ‘just be confident’ isn’t helpful advice, understanding that confidence comes from competence, preparation, and experience gives you a roadmap.

Build competence: Genuine confidence comes from knowing you have the skills to handle what you’ll face. If you’re anxious about a particular movement or level, perhaps you’re not quite ready. There’s no shame in this; it means you need more preparation, not that you’re inadequate. Work on the skills until they’re truly solid, then compete at that level.

Prepare thoroughly: Confidence grows from preparation. Know your test inside out. Understand the course. Have your equipment organised. Practice your warm-up routine. Each element you’ve prepared is one less thing to worry about.

Gain experience: There’s no substitute for mileage. Each show you attend, regardless of result, adds to your experience bank. The 50th show is less intimidating than the 5th because you’ve proven to yourself repeatedly that you can handle this.

Set realistic expectations: Confidence doesn’t mean believing you’ll win every time. It means trusting you’ll cope with whatever happens. Some of the most confident riders are those who’ve learned to handle mistakes gracefully.

Collect evidence: Keep a success journal. After every ride – training or competition – write down three things you did well. When doubt creeps in, review this evidence. Your brain tends to remember failures vividly and dismiss successes; deliberately documenting successes counters this bias.

Use confident body language: Research shows that physical posture influences mental state. Sit tall, pull your shoulders back, and hold your head up. This ‘power posing’ genuinely makes you feel more confident – it’s not just appearance; it affects your internal state.