Allan E. Mallinger and Jeanette Dewyze write, in "Too Perfect - When being in control gets out of control", that if the reader is armed with 2 things, they can make significant beneficial changes:
Motivation and Insight
"By Motivation I mean a willingness and a desire to put consistent effort into changing the attitudes and behaviours that are causing some of your unhappiness. By insight I mean an understanding of exactly how your particular [problems] are causing you harm, and some ideas for alternative attitudes and behaviours." - page 36, Fawcett books.
That struck me as particularly pertinent and succinct. Is it not so that these are the 2 ingredients needed for ANY change? Want to get fit and lean? You need Motivation and Insight. Want to make more money? You need Motivation and Insight. Want to be happier? You need Motivation and Insight. Want to become more confident? You need Motivation and Insight. Want to change anything in your life? You need Motivation and Insight.
Insight can be found outside yourself: There are countless books, blogs, videos, magazines, articles, documentaries and other informative mediums about every subject under the sun. Anything you might want to do, achieve, accomplish has been described, explained and elucidated. There is so much information available that it is actually more often a case of trying to find the most relevant bits. The things which speak to you. Which resonate as true inside your very being. The ones which make you say, "YES! I can relate to that. That person has gone through what I am going through. They know what to do. I can trust them."
Motivation, on the other hand, can only be found inside yourself. No one can give you motivation, not even your mother (if only she realised this!). But when you find motivation, it can move mountains. It can even change how you behave. The only possible thing which can maybe still hold you back is fear. If you still have fears which stop you from taking the action you know you should be taking, then all the motivation in the world will not help you to take that step, do that action.
If, however, you set your sights on reducing your fears and increasing your confidence, what can hold you back? If your motivation is to reduce your fears to the point where you have them in control and you achieve this, then it becomes possible to do ANYTHING!