How to Build Confidence to do Hard / Uncertain Things

In the first half-year of 2020, I have experienced a failure and a life event that almost destroyed my self-confidence. Then I had a turning point. I was fortunate and got an opportunity to start a promising project with my previous startup team. This was when both my teammates and I realized that I do not have the confidence to take on such a challenging and uncertain task.
So I did some digging, I asked my friends and mentors about this, and below is the list of learning I got — for how to restore/build confidence to do hard/uncertain things.

Lowering the risk

— Understand the type of the problem, it may not be about confidence, it may be about physical barriers.

— If low confidence because of lack of knowledge or track record in making good decisions, then ask for advice/opinion from experienced mentors about this opportunity

— Use the test-driven strategy to start small (ex. By starting with prototyping a simple solution)

Strengthen Your Heart

— Treat your body well, it will boost your confidence. For example, Sleep will help strengthen your prefrontal cortex, which will restore willpower. Do power exercises to boost testosterone, which directly increases your ambition.

— Learn and adopt mentalities that motivate you to do hard things. (eg. “bias towards action”, “bias toward growth”, or “bias toward adventure”)

— Surround yourself with confident and bold people. Your characteristics, which include your confidence, is the average of the 5 people that you are closest with.

— Adopt an alternative self, imagine you are the hero you look up to — or adopt an Alter Ego.

Strengthen Your Brain

— Learn about truth and how the world work (eg, believe in God, or know a lot of first principles)

— Practice execution and prove your ability to achieve things, or see your speed of improvement.