Confidence isn’t a quality we are born with or something that magically happens; it’s built through action. To create confidence, you need to get started. Every time you act, you bet on yourself and gather evidence that you can do what you set out to do.

Self-belief is the foundation of success. This is an iron rule. Nobody ever became unreasonably successful without a strong belief in themselves. Self-belief can start with a vague but deep sense of being special.

When the going got tough, those who believed they could do it – regardless of their ability – were the ones who actually could. And, crucially, the students who were primed to be more confident ended up enjoying the exercise a lot more too.