Rediscovering Your Inner Confidence: Reignite the Courage You Had as a Child

How small, daily steps outside your comfort zone can help you rebuild the fearless spirit you thought was lost to workplace stress

When I look back at my childhood, I have fond memories of trying out everything that crossed my mind. Tinkering was my go-to activity. I neither had a fear of failure nor judgment. I had one thing in abundance - confidence that I could fix it, even though most of the times the result was just the opposite.

As children, we were fearless explorers. We tried anything and everything, even if it meant stumbling, because failure didn’t carry the weight it does today. We climbed trees and fell, we uttered nonsense and were laughed at. But these did not stop us from attempting again.

Fast forward to adulthood, and life somehow convinced us that we need to play it safe. In the workplace, we face pressures, expectations, and a constant undercurrent of perfectionism. Slowly, stress becomes a defining element in how we see ourselves. We start holding back, thinking we’re not enough, or perhaps fearing that any mistake could threaten our professional standing. Bit by bit, our inner child—the confident one who didn’t think twice before trying—gets buried under layers of doubt and restraint.

It happened to me, and I hear similar stories everyday

Here is something interesting I discovered: The bold version of us is still there. And the way to regain the confidence is still the same that we learnt in our childhood - Build confidence in small ways, one stretch at a time

A little Stretch here and there - You don’t need grand gestures or huge leaps, just small actions that feel a little challenging but manageable.

Maybe that’s speaking up in a meeting where you’d usually stay quiet, suggesting a new idea, or even dedicating five minutes a day to a skill you’ve always wanted to learn. Think of each stretch as a small climb, like that childhood tree.

How it works - By growing in tiny increments, we bypass the paralyzing fear of failure. We start to see that we can handle a little discomfort—and as our confidence grows, so does our willingness to stretch further. Over time, these small steps add up to give amazing results and rock-solid confidence to face anything head-on

Ask yourself:

In which area of your life do you need more confidence?

And what are you willing to give that little stretch?