The Confidence Workbook: Building courage and self-belief

by The School of Life

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

180 pages, Hardcover

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.

We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.

Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.

That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Confidence Workbook is another great addition to the School of Life series of non-fiction and self-help books.
In this book you read through a series of chapters dealing with common daily life and challenges such as family, work, relationships, friends, our mental health etc and include questions which help you to dig into the roote causes of why we feel the way we do inside. The book doesn't offer or promise a quick fix but offers you support and reflection if you put the time and effort in to use the book to make changes. While some questions may not be relevant to all, they are thought-provoking enough to consider.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really detailed! More detailed than most other workbooks/journals I have seen.
I also liked the information in each section of the book too. It was very thorough and helped when filling out the sections.

There were of course some things in the workbook that were not always relevant eg. "being frightened to put your hand up and ask for the toilet in school"

It was also great that the questions were not repetitive (like some other books of this nature)

Overall really detailed, and really thought provoking.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and The School of Life for an advance copy of this workbook that posits questions and and offers to exercises for people who wish to gain more confidence in their lives.

One of the worst things about lacking confidence is that one says "I Wish", quite a lot. I wish I went here, I wish I went there. I wish I had done this, I wish I had taken that class. I wish that said something to that person who seemed friendly and nice. I wish I had tried to follow my dreams. "I wish" drains a person. A constant reminder that maybe things could be different. Was it something in the past? Was it something chemical in the brain? A path not taken, nor even thought about trying to take, or maybe even trying to look for. "I Wish" in many ways has become a noun, a verb and a perfect adjective for a lot of my life. However if one gives up it it even worse. One has to try cause a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. And this book is full of a lot of steps. The Confidence Workbook: Building Courage and Self-belief by The School of Life is a workbook, an idea book, a journal, and maybe even a dream book aimed at tuning ourselves to feel a little bit more confident about ourselves and maybe making a change in the world.

The book is a series of chapters that deal with life; relationships, work, family, friends, and about ourselves. Some of the exercises are questions trying to get to the root of why we feel the way we do. Others involve our dealings with others and how we gain or lose confidence based on these interactions. What is different about this book is that it starts not by promising a cure, but asking readers to invest in their own betterment by making a pledge. This pledge is an understanding in that years of life can not be solved just by closing this book on the last page. Change takes time, and sometimes can be painful, and something we don't want to face. Many books say this, but don't like to deal with this unfortunate fact, as readers might give up. However to ask a reader to make a pledge, that is interesting, and something many might follow up on. Questions follow, many trying to get at the root of our problems, many trying to bring us up while admitting that things might be bad in some cases. Some questions might make a person go huh, and others will strike right at the heart of well their heart, and maybe start a person thinking. And thinking might lead to doing.

A different kind of book, and one that surprised me in a few way. Some questions can be answered quickly. Some take some time, a lot of staring and thinking back. A few took me day, and one, well two, I am thinking even as I write this, as they asked something in such a way that it never occurred to me, and yet makes sense. Some are silly, and full of aphorisms that I don't know will work in this new world we find ourselves living in. However something that occured to me while reading this, is not everything is about me. The world is not about me, its about my place in the world. So a question that seems irrelevant to myself, might have great resonance to someone else. And the two questions well three, I am still grappling with, might be no-brainers to others. I can't say that many books leave me wondering about the subject, there have been a few, and this is one of them.

Time will tell, but I signed a little pledge on a piece of paper I will keep in my wallet, so we will see. This is a good book for oneself, or for a friend who can use a boost, but find other boosts useful or goofy. I hope it helps.

[Cherryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Confidence Workbook" is an insightful and practical guide that offers readers a unique approach to building self-confidence and transforming their lives. Created by The School of Life, an organization dedicated to promoting emotional intelligence and self-improvement, this workbook provides a comprehensive framework for reflecting on your strengths, identifying areas for growth, and developing a personalized plan to boost your confidence and achieve your goals.

What sets this workbook apart is its interactive and introspective approach, which encourages readers to engage in deep self-reflection and journaling exercises to gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The book's user-friendly format and thoughtful prompts make it an ideal tool for anyone seeking to overcome self-doubt, set boundaries, and cultivate a mindset of resilience and empowerment.

"The Confidence Workbook" is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to build a strong foundation of self-confidence and transform their lives. Its practical wisdom and interactive format make it a must-have for personal development enthusiasts and anyone seeking to unlock their full potential and live life with greater purpose and fulfillment.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **

[Chaty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The School of Life, by far, has satisfied me and delivers the promise from its title. I feel like this book helps me solve my confidence problem in a systematic way. I get deeper understanding of what caused underconfidence, and how I can get that confidence back. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ❤️

(update: after I did all the prompts)

this book changed my life. I'm not exaggerating when I say that The Confidence Workbook has made me:
- understand that I am, indeed, an underconfident person.
- feel the need to change
- believe I can change
- changed
the book is as promised on the title: a workbook. it contains brief explanation as an intro to the workbook, which we need to fill. the "workbook" contains prompts that are clear and to-the-point. they helped me ask questions to myself without too much thinking. I've read many self-help books, and this one is just very straightforward, which is what I really need at the time I read it. loved it, and definitely recommend to everyone who needs to find confidence within and ready to dig deeper into oneself.

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who suffers from low confidence, I thought this book did well. It breaks down the science behind low confidence in relation to specific areas of life, such as work and sexuality, and then prompts the reader to do some thinking about their own experiences that may have led them to suffer from low confidence. There were lots of prompts and hints so I felt like all of the right questions were being asked and I thought that the amount of questions allowed me to really deeply consider my own experiences. That being said, I don't feel that this is some sort of revolutionary book that will be the right thing for everyone. It is a workbook on confidence, so I feel like it does what it is meant to do, but wasn't anything amazing.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed, yet simple book about how to identify the areas of your life where you lack confidence. The under confident are led by the hand through questions, a short psychological explanation, and ‘things to do’. The ideas are all straightforward but have the capacity to be life changing.

I like the way it’s split into various topics like work, friendship, relationships etc which allows you to focus on areas where you know you need to work. The questions are probing but always have research to show why it’s suggested and why it works.

The layout is clear and I look forward to journaling on some of these topics to learn more about how to improve.

Recommended if you’re interested in finding out ways to discover how to improve your confidence level.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Confidence Workbook by The School of Life begins with a series of questions to take stock of your own level of confidence, and then there's a pledge to sign and date, keeping you accountable to this work for yourself.

Then, the book covers possible root causes for lack of confidence. I found these very eye-opening. At this point, I felt the rest of the book would be promising and worthwhile.

The areas of life covered in each chapter are very thoughtful and are right on target for the personal work I would like to do. If you truly struggle with confidence, I believe you won't be disappointed in this book. I'm looking forward to going back through the prompts and exercises.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bunmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The School of Life produces so many great resources for understanding yourself, others, and interpersonal relationships and this workbook is no different. This workbook approaches confidence from several angles, from confidence in yourself and your beliefs to relationships with those around you to the perception of confidence. I really appreciated that each section provides history and context, examples, and asks pointed questions that are meant to challenge the reader. Overall, I really enjoyed this workbook and recommend it to any underconfident person or anyone who wants to learn more about themselves. Thank you to The School of Life and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Eviana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it when the publisher makes a workbook that the reader can work on it slowly like a guided journal. In my opinion, confidence plays a big role in our lives. Being unconfident is not as simple as being shy; it is also about not being able to show our truest selves and being comfortable with ourselves.
Confidentiality is also needed not only for performing at work or school but also for communicating with partners, resolving conflicts, and even parenting.

Thank you The School of Life and Net Galley for providing digital ARC. I will definitely revisit this book when needed.

[Kira K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The book is surprisingly broad with the topics it covers from childhood and relationships to democracy, gut instinct and death. Having the exercises in orange and the whole page orange when possible helps break up the text and workbook in a unique way making it very distinct. Overall, this is a great workbook to work through if you aim to improve your self-confidence.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book overall. The advice makes you think and often raises good points. However some if the advice went a bit too far for me and I can’t image starting some of the suggested topics if conversation. Interesting though.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little books contains a wealth of information and exercises for anyone wanting to build themself up in a world that can be rough and cruel.

Thanks to The School of Life and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

[Mia Caven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed more 50/50 about confidence and trauma. I liked this and it was well written but I can safely say I’m a confident person after reading this if this is what being unconfident is

[LemontreeLime]

I recieved a copy of this from netgalley in exchage for a review, but was not able to finish it before it expired.