Do you ever find yourself thinking: "I can't do it", "This isn't for me", or "I'll fail anyway"?
Perhaps it's not a lack of skill standing in your way, but a low sense of self-efficacy.

This concept was introduced in 1977 by Albert Bandura, one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century - the same man who conducted the famous Bobo doll experiment.
He noticed that people differ not only in talent or circumstances but, above all, in how much they believe they can handle difficulties.

What exactly is self-efficacy?

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own abilities to act, achieve goals, and deal with obstacles.
It is the conviction: "I managed - maybe not right away, but I can do it".

People with a high sense of self-efficacy:

- are more willing to take on challenges,

- are more persistent,

- give up less easily after failures,

- succeed more often.

Conversely, people who do not believe in themselves give up faster, avoid difficult situations, and treat failures as proof of their own worthlessness.

The snowball effect

Bandura noticed that self-efficacy works like a snowball effect - the more you believe in yourself, the more action you take, and the more action you take, the more often you succeed.
This, in turn, strengthens your self-belief.

On the other hand, a lack of belief in one's own capabilities leads to a vicious cycle: avoiding action, frustration, stress, and sometimes even depression.

What influences a sense of self-efficacy?

Most often, the way we are raised.

👉 A child who hears:
"I believe in you", "Try again", "You don't have to be the best, what matters is that you're trying" - learns that it's worth trying, even if everything doesn't go perfectly.

👉 A child who hears instead:
"You failed", "You're not cut out for this", "You did it wrong again" - grows up believing that it's better to do nothing than to risk embarrassment.

Unfortunately, this conviction stays with us into adulthood.

What can you do if your self-efficacy is low?

We don't choose our parents or the environment we grow up in, but we can change the way we think about ourselves.
A simple psychological exercise that you can do on your own can help.

🠨 The "Wall" Exercise
Every time someone says something hurtful to you - e.g., "You can't do it", "You failed" - say in your mind: "This isn't about me. This is about them".
Imagine that you are building a brick wall between yourself and that person.
Each "This isn't about me" is one more brick.
Over time, the wall becomes higher and stronger.

This symbolic separation from negative words helps you understand that not every message you hear about yourself is true.

Why is it worth working on self-efficacy?

Because it is the internal foundation of mental resilience.
A person who believes they can handle things even when it's difficult rarely experiences helplessness, stress, or burnout.
In return, they more often experience peace, meaning, and satisfaction in life.

Self-efficacy doesn't mean thinking: "I am the best", but rather:
"I don't know if I'll succeed, but I'll try because I have an influence on what I do".

Self-efficacy is not magic

It is a way of thinking that can be developed.
You don't have to believe in yourself 100% right away.
It's enough if today you tell yourself:
"I'll take a small step. That's enough".

Because every great success begins precisely with that - with the first conviction that you can try.