What Are the Best Ways to Build Confidence in a New Skill or Technique?

Learning a new skill can shake your confidence, even if you're usually confident in other parts of your life.

For me, that moment came with my junior skating skills test. It took me over ten years to pass. I worked on it off and on, through seasons of frustration, slow progress, and the persistent feeling that maybe I just wasn’t good enough. I had teammates who would say things like, “It’s not that hard,” even though it was for me. My anxiety would spike, my body would tense, and every mistake felt like proof that I didn’t belong.

That experience was especially confusing because academics had always come easily to me. I was used to learning quickly. So, when skating didn’t follow that same timeline, I internalized the belief that if you don’t achieve something quickly, maybe you’re not cut out for it.

But that belief wasn’t true. My progress was slow and awkward, but it was real. What helped me keep going was learning to trust the process, even when it didn’t look the way I thought it should. It’s a mindset I still work on today, and one I try to model for athletes I work with now: You might not be there yet, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there.

Whether you’re learning a new technique, returning from injury, or rebuilding trust in your body, confidence is something you can grow. And it starts with how you relate to yourself during the learning process.

Here are ten strategies that can help.

1. Set Small, Achievable Goals

Learning a new skill can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re comparing yourself to others or putting pressure on quick results. Breaking a technique into smaller, manageable steps helps create momentum.

Instead of aiming for mastery right away, focus on goals tied to effort and learning. Small wins (like improved balance, cleaner footwork, or showing up consistently) build confidence over time.

2. Practice Consistently and With Intention

Confidence grows through repetition, but not just any repetition. Intentional practice (where you’re paying attention to what you’re doing and how it feels) helps your body and brain learn together.

This can be especially important for athletes navigating anxiety, neurodivergence, or recovery, where awareness and pacing matter just as much as effort.

3. Visualize Success

Visualization helps your brain practice success before your body fully catches up. Spend a few minutes imagining yourself performing the skill with steadiness and control.

This creates familiarity and helps your nervous system recognize the skill as something you can handle.

4. Embrace Mistakes as Part of Learning

Mistakes are unavoidable when learning something new. The key difference between athletes who build confidence and those who lose it is how they interpret mistakes.

Instead of seeing errors as failures, view them as information. Ask yourself what the mistake is teaching you. This growth mindset helps reduce fear and keeps learning moving forward.

5. Track Your Progress

Progress is often hard to notice on a day-to-day basis. Keeping a journal, notes app, or video log can help you see change over time.

This can be especially validating for athletes who feel like they have to work harder than others to see results. Evidence of progress matters.

6. Seek Support and Feedback

Learning doesn’t happen in isolation. Coaches, mentors, and sport psychology professionals can help you refine skills while keeping expectations realistic.

Constructive feedback is most helpful when it’s paired with support. If feedback feels overwhelming, it’s okay to ask clarifying questions or take time to process it.

7. Celebrate Small Wins

Confidence isn’t built through one big breakthrough. It’s built through small moments of progress, showing up on hard days, trying again, staying engaged.

Taking time to acknowledge these wins helps your brain register growth, not just gaps.

8. Cultivate Supportive Self-Talk

The way you speak to yourself matters. Self-talk that’s harsh or absolute (“I’ll never get this!”) increases tension and discouragement.

Try replacing it with language that reflects effort and possibility: “This is hard, and I’m learning.” Confidence grows when self-talk supports persistence.

9. Reflect on Past Successes

Think back to other skills you’ve learned, especially ones that didn’t come easily. What helped you stick with them?

You’ve learned hard things before. That history matters.

10. Be Patient and Persistent

This may be the hardest part. Learning takes time. Some skills require longer timelines, especially when anxiety, injury, or identity-based pressure is involved.

Patience doesn’t mean lack of ambition. It means trusting that growth happens through consistency, not rushing.

Conclusion: Confidence Grows Through the Process, Not Speed

Building confidence in a new skill isn’t about proving yourself; it’s about staying connected to the process long enough to grow. When athletes learn to relate to mistakes with curiosity, progress with pride, and themselves with kindness, confidence follows.

New beginnings invite us to start differently. Not faster. Not perfectly. But more compassionately.

Reflection Question: Where in your sport are you expecting yourself to “already be there”? What might shift if you allowed yourself to be a learner instead?

Ready to Build Confidence Without Rushing the Process?

If learning a new skill has left you feeling frustrated, behind, or stuck in self-doubt, sport psychology support can help. At Inside Edge Counseling and Consulting, our team works with athletes to build confidence, manage pressure, and develop mental skills that support growth—not just performance.

If you’re ready to approach learning with more patience, clarity, and self-trust, we’d love to support you.

START HERE

Legal Disclaimer

This blog post is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, psychological services, or medical advice. Reading this post does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are seeking support for your mental health or well-being, consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional in your area.