Understanding the gap between self-confidence and self-worth

Confidence and worth aren’t the same — but they often get confused.

During a session with a client who has been toying with establishing a consultancy post-redundancy, we were mapping out how she can establish herself. Hosting a free webinar was an option we were considering. I asked her how long she might run the session for, and she was concerned not to take up too much of the attendees’ time. What she actually said was “they are giving up their time for me".

And this is where I interjected to point out that she was giving away her expertise for them. The attendees will walk away understanding what the upcoming regulatory changes are for their industry, when they are happening, and what it means for them. That’s HUGE in terms of value.

She thanked me for helping reframe and said she would work on her self-confidence, and I suggested self-worth might be the key for her. This took her aback for a moment, so I explained.

She knows she knows her stuff, but she doubts the value of it.

Self-confidence refers to your belief in your abilities and actions.
Self-worth refers to your belief in your inherent value as a person.

This manifests as not asking for the salary you really want or deserve, not seeing the true value of your work or service, over-giving/giving freebies, and generally feeling that anything which goes your way is a happy accident or down to luck, rather than because you are worth it.

Self-confidence is a great foundation, but it’ll take you further when layered with a healthy dose of self-worth.

If you’re wondering whether your mindset is one of the reasons you’re feeling stuck, let’s talk about it.

A clarity session can help you identify what’s holding you back — and what needs to shift.