Mastery Belief: The Power To Feel Capable

Do you feel that you are capable of achieving all the goals you have set for yourself? Maybe you have decided to create your own company or learn a new language. You may have doubts about your own ability to achieve these things. If you have these doubts, this may be an indicator that you have low or weak mastery beliefs. If you have this problem, you are unlikely to get what you really want.

A perfect example of the idea of ​​mastery faith was Obama’s speech during the presidential campaign. We’re talking about his famous slogan ‘Yes, we can!’ This is a positive and motivating message. If we were to turn it into our mantra, we would see that it is possible to achieve our goals no matter how great or impossible they seem. This means that we must trust our abilities and know that we can meet challenges successfully.

Psychologist Albert Bandura was very interested in this concept. This psychologist developed a theory in which he stated that there are certain variables in a person that influence their behavior. These variables are also related to a sense of mastery. One of them is precisely the degree to which the individual trusts his abilities or believes they can achieve a goal.

But faith is not always enough to feel valid or capable. For this reason , we will address three important aspects that can help increase our own efficiency. By spending enough time with each one of them, we can accomplish the things we intend to do.

Be realistic

It is impossible for everything in our lives to be perfect or even good. There are also many things that we have to work hard for. This does not mean that we can not achieve our goals in most cases. This means that we must find out what we need to work on. We can find new skills to invest our time in  so that we can reach our goals.

For this we must see ourselves in an honest light. We need to know what is between us and our goal. What are we working on for our benefit? Is there something working towards us that we can focus on? The most important thing is not to give up. First we need to analyze, plan and reflect. We can achieve most of our dreams with effort and enthusiasm.

On the other hand, we must consider and ensure that our goals are actually achievable. When we are sure of this, we must remember that any worthy achievement takes time. We will not gain experience in areas we have never ventured into overnight. But when we look back, we realize how far we have come.

Slowly but surely

A fragile belief in mastery stems from haste and flying forward in an impulsive attempt to achieve what we want. Experiences are meant to be made in the long run, not in the short run. Not knowing how to wait and rushing through something will lead to direct failure. People seek instant gratification so that they can get everything they want just when they want it. It is rare for someone to wait months or years to get it.

Success is based on perseverance. Persevering through tasks is much better than any sudden change. Thanks to perseverance, we can grow and increase our own efficiency. It is very difficult to achieve our goals without it.

Let us imagine that we are part of a rock climbing group. If we are in a hurry to get to the top, we do not take the time to create a strategy around how to proceed. We may fall because we did not make a plan. Our nerves can get the best of us because we do not go as fast as we want. However, we will continue to get to our destination quickly. And then, at some point, we will block and start doubting ourselves. It will make us question whether we will ever reach our goal. In this case, we did not pay enough attention to our belief in mastery. Therefore, it disappeared little by little.

Safe progress and faith in mastery

Now, if we look at where to put our hands and feet and how to grip and hold, we will gradually learn what works and what does not work. Although our ascent may be slow, we know that sooner or later we will reach the top. That way we learn and grow. We also give confidence in ourselves and our progress. We can still fall, but we get up and try again without hesitation. Our sense of mastery will have grown by leaps and bounds.

Belief in mastery: Our path gives us clues

The path we travel on gives us clues that can help lead our course. We just need to free ourselves from stiffness so that we are open to new alternatives. This way we can act when we come across obstacles on our path.

If we focus on the obstacles and waste time trying to move them out of the way, we will never see what lies ahead. Accepting that we will face challenges along the way is always something we must keep in mind. This fear of failure may not be what keeps us from moving forward.

We must improve continuously. We also have to look around, because sometimes it does not go as planned. Do we really believe we are capable and valid? Maybe our inner voice is playing with us and working against us using doubts.

Having a high level of mastery is important if we want to be flexible in adapting to different conditions. This allows us to change course when it takes us in the wrong direction. Belief in mastery also allows us to see what is happening in front of us and shows us how much confidence we should have in ourselves.