If you have had a difficult time trusting yourself, it may be a sign that you lack confidence. You cannot develop any trust without confidence. Feel secure in your abilities and be strong in your convictions. But know when you are wrong as well.

The above requires you to develop confidence. That may seem scary to you. However, it’s not as difficult as you think. No one is born with confidence. It is something people learn and develop during their lives. It’s the same for you. Take steps to develop your confidence and trusting yourself will become easy.

Fear is the biggest detractor from confidence. When you give into your fears, you will diminish the chances of building up your confidence. That is something that deepens if you don’t handle it quickly. You need to face your fears head-on.

That doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and be reckless. You should take chances but only if they won’t put your life or others’ lives in danger. You would not jump out of a plane without a parachute. Don’t make frivolous decisions, either. Confidence is about knowing the difference.

Start out with small tasks that you have been afraid to try in the past. Most outcomes will turn out better than you imagine. If you try to imagine what might happen, and you always see a negative outcome, you will never make any decisions. Take on those small tasks without thinking too much about the outcome. That action will build up your confidence.

You should ask questions when you are unsure about situations you face. Confidence is not about having all the answers. It’s about knowing where to find them and who is likely to have the knowledge that you need. It is also about knowing when you have gathered enough information.

When you are confident you take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. If you believe in what you are doing, you can convey that belief to others affected by your decisions. If you blame others when your situation does not go as planned, you can come across as weak and unsure of yourself. Once this happens, others can lose faith in you. That will cause your confidence to erode, and self-doubt will take over. When you make your decisions, you own them, even if they don’t work out. Acknowledge that you have made a mistake, it’s not the end of the world.

When you increase your confidence, you will automatically increase trusting yourself. Then, you can accomplish more than you ever imagined.