Procrastination is a tricky beast. Procrastination is the antithesis of being prepared. There is no way that you can be completely and absolutely prepared if you put off doing something until the last minute. If you feel rushed and frazzled when you’re completing a project, your confidence in that project, and by extension your own abilities, will be low.

At the same time, while procrastination can cause a lack of confidence, it can often be a symptom of low self-confidence. If you don’t feel secure in your ability to accomplish a task, you’re going to keep putting it off. If you don’t feel capable of completing a report, you’ll constantly tell yourself that you’ll write it as soon as you finish checking your e-mail, then as soon as you return a few phone calls, then as soon as you eat lunch, and the excuses go on and on.

Oddly enough, one of the best ways to build your self-confidence is to admit that you’re having trouble with something. If you don’t admit your problems, you’ll never learn and grow. As you gain new skills, you also gain confidence.

If your confidence is low, you can build it up by starting small. Focus on one thing that you think you can do particularly well. This isn’t the time to single-handedly take on the firm’s biggest client. Instead, if you’re artistic, create a great new business card, or if you’re skilled with words, write a thought-provoking article for the company newsletter. It doesn’t matter exactly what task you choose. The important thing is to build your confidence by doing things you’re good at. From there, you can slowly build your way up to difficult tasks that you previously dreaded.

Self-confidence is such an integral part of your success at work that it pays to be aware of your confidence levels and to take steps to improve them whenever necessary.

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