Man alive I love good food. For me, a good plate of food is one of the biggest pleasures of life.

I’ve been totally hooked on the latest season of Masterchef and was so excited about the final last night. A big congratulations to James for winning through a gripping hour of telly; I was on the edge of my seat, relishing every moment and afraid to blink in case I missed a shot of some amazing food.

The fascinating thing is seeing how their confidence improved over the series. From nervous, self-doubting and sometimes fumbling cooks into passionate, visionary and immensely capable chef’s.

The fact that their confidence improved as much as the dishes they put together is no accident. Here’s how their confidence grew:

1. From one round to the next, they consistently worked their confidence muscle. Just like any other muscle in your body, your confidence muscle grows to deliver on the level of performance required. Work and stretch your confidence muscle and it grows correspondingly.
2. They were engaging with what they were doing and played at the very best level. They were passionate, and their willingness to jump into a game that genuinely matters to them meant that they were able to bring everything they had to the table.
3. They saw a burden of evidence accumulate that proved to themselves how capable and talented they are. They learned what worked, and that learning built trust in their own ability to deliver and fuelled self-trust.

It was a joy to witness and a great example of how people can grow their confidence to do something amazing and something that truly matters to them.

Those same strategies can work for anyone.