The Science of Confidence – Why Most People Build It Backwards (And How To Fix It)

Written by Steve Petrie, Performance Coach

Steve Petrie is the founder of Petrie Sports Performance Ltd, a high-performance centre in Devon, UK. With a background in strength & conditioning, psychology, and rehabilitation, Steve helps athletes and everyday performers build sustainable success through integrated training, mindset coaching, and lifestyle optimisation.

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Confidence is one of the most misunderstood parts of performance. Many people believe it’s something you feel, something that shows up when everything is going well. But confidence isn’t a personality trait or a lucky moment, it’s a skill. One that elite athletes and high performers train deliberately, repeatedly, and intentionally.

In this article, we explore what confidence really is, what science says about how it develops, and practical strategies you can use to build deep, durable confidence in sport, business, and everyday life.

What is confidence?

Psychologists describe confidence as self-efficacy, our belief in our capability to successfully perform a specific task. It has nothing to do with pretending to be confident or trying to eliminate doubt. Instead, confidence is a functional belief shaped by preparation, evidence, and experience.

According to Albert Bandura’s seminal work on self-efficacy, confidence grows from four key sources: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and how we interpret physical sensations. (Bandura, 1977 – “Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioural Change”)

Read the research here.

Confidence is not about feeling perfect. It’s about trusting your ability to execute despite discomfort, nerves, or pressure.

Why confidence matters

Across sport, leadership, and personal performance, confidence allows you to:

• Stay composed under stress

• Maintain focus on relevant cues

• Act decisively during high-pressure moments

• Recover quickly after errors

• Sustain motivation during challenges

A large meta-analysis published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that higher self-confidence is consistently linked with better performance, while low confidence increases cognitive anxiety and disrupts decision-making.

Read the study here.

In short, confidence isn’t a luxury, it’s a performance variable.

For a deeper look at the psychological foundations of performance, Brainz has previously explored the mental frameworks behind resilience, pressure and sustained growth.

Read more here.

How elite performers build confidence

Elite athletes don’t wait for confidence to appear they build it. Research in high-performance sport shows that confidence is shaped by nine key sources, including preparation, previous performance success, coaching quality, social support, experience, and self-awareness.

Here are the foundations world-class performers use:

1. Preparation routines

Top athletes create readiness through structured warm-ups, activation exercises, mental cues, breathing protocols, and imagery. These routines downregulate stress and signal the brain, I’m ready for this.

Try it: before any challenging moment, take five slow breaths, visualise success, and choose one clear action goal.

2. Mastery experiences

The strongest builder of confidence is repeated success, deliberate, high-quality practice where technique is correct, challenge is appropriate, and skills are reinforced.

This doesn’t require perfection it requires consistency.

3. Vicarious experiences

Seeing others succeed, especially those similar to you, strengthens belief in your own capability. For youth athletes and people returning from injury, this is particularly powerful.

4. Credible feedback

Confidence grows when feedback is specific, constructive, and tied to controllable behaviours.

Instead of “You’re great,” elite coaches highlight:

• timing

• positioning

• footwork

• decision-making

• technical cues

5. Interpreting emotion as readiness

Nerves don’t damage confidence, misinterpreting nerves does.

Elite athletes learn that increased heart rate, adrenaline, and alertness are signs of readiness, not danger.

By reframing stress signals, they stay composed and assertive in critical moments.

The backwards confidence model (and why most people use it)

Many people unknowingly build confidence in reverse:

1. Wait to feel confident

2. Hope early performance goes well

3. Gain or lose confidence based on outcome

4. Repeat

This approach is fragile because it depends entirely on things you can’t control weather, opponents, luck, timing, judgement calls.

The evidence-based model flips this:

1. Build confidence through preparation

2. Create small, frequent wins

3. Reinforce success through cues and reflection

4. Use confidence to support performance, not the other way around

Confidence becomes a by-product of your behaviour, not a requirement for it.

Practical strategies to build confidence

Here are four simple, science-backed ways to build deeper confidence:

1. Stack small successes

Break skills into small steps, execute them well, and gradually increase difficulty. These “wins” accumulate into a powerful confidence reservoir.

2. Use performance cues

Short, three- to five-word cues keep focus steady.

Examples:

• “Quick feet, calm head.”

• “Breathe and commit.”

• “Strong posture, smooth finish.”

3. Reframe nerves

Instead of “I’m anxious,” try:

• “My body is preparing.”

• “This means I care.”

• “This is energy I can use.”

This shift alone stabilises confidence under pressure.

4. Track your evidence

Keep notes or videos of successful reps and sessions. Reviewing this before competitions or important events reinforces the belief:

“I’ve already proven I can do this.”

Daily strategies to strengthen confidence

You can build confidence the same way elite athletes do with small, consistent habits:

• A short pre-performance routine before meetings, training, or difficult moments

• One challenge each day that stretches your comfort zone

• Reviewing evidence of your progress weekly

• Practising reframing when nerves appear

• Using breathing or grounding to stay calm under pressure

Confidence grows through repetition. The more often you practise, the more automatic it becomes.

Build your confidence from the inside out

Confidence isn’t about feeling invincible. It’s about trusting your preparation, reading your body accurately, and acting with clarity regardless of pressure.

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Start with one tool, practise it consistently, and build from there. Over time, these habits compound into confidence that is stable, resilient, and ready for any challenge.

If you want to develop mental skills, daily habits, and performance strategies that elevate confidence long-term, get in touch to explore practical coaching methods designed to help you perform at your best in sport, work, or life.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Steve Petrie

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Steve Petrie, Performance Coach

Steve Petrie is the founder and driving force behind Petrie Sports Performance Ltd, a high-performance centre based in Devon, UK. With over a decade of experience, he has worked with Olympic athletes, national governing bodies, and youth performers across multiple sports. Holding degrees in Sports Rehabilitation, Strength & Conditioning, and a Master’s in Psychology, Steve combines physical training with psychological tools to help people achieve their best, every day. His unique approach focuses on long-term development rather than quick fixes, blending science, resilience, and lifestyle strategies. Through his work, Steve empowers athletes, professionals, and leaders to reach sustainable levels of performance in sport and life.