What self-efficacy is
Self-efficacy is the belief that you can successfully carry out a specific task or handle a specific situation. Psychologist Albert Bandura proposed the concept in 1977, describing it as a subjective belief in one's ability to perform, distinct from actual ability itself. Two people with the same skill level can behave very differently when facing a challenge depending on their self-efficacy.
Mastery experience
Directly succeeding at a goal is considered the single strongest source of self-efficacy. Building up a string of small successes solidifies the belief "I can do this," while repeatedly attempting a goal that's too difficult without preparation and failing can actually lower self-efficacy -- which is why gradually increasing difficulty is generally recommended.
Vicarious experience
Simply watching someone in a similar position succeed can raise your own self-efficacy. Seeing a role model achieve a goal under comparable conditions can lead to the thought "if they could do it, so can I," and the effect tends to be stronger the more similar that person seems to you.
Verbal persuasion
Genuine encouragement from people around you can reinforce the belief that you're capable. However, praise that isn't grounded in reality can backfire and lower self-efficacy even more sharply if you later fail, which is why specific, realistic feedback tends to work better than blanket praise.
Emotional and physical state
How you interpret physical and emotional responses like tension, anxiety, or fatigue also affects self-efficacy. The same nervous feeling can be read as a sign you're about to fail, which lowers self-efficacy, or as a sign your body is gearing up for performance, which can actually help. Managing your condition and how you interpret stress both play a role.
When self-efficacy is high
People with high self-efficacy tend to take on difficult goals more readily, and when they fail, they tend to attribute it to controllable factors like insufficient effort rather than a lack of ability. High self-efficacy drives sustained effort on challenging tasks instead of avoidance, though unchecked overconfidence without realistic preparation can tip into excessive optimism.
When self-efficacy is low
People with low self-efficacy tend to avoid challenges altogether, or give up quickly when things get difficult. A strong tendency to blame failure on a lack of ability can make someone hesitant to try new things at all -- deliberately building up small wins is the realistic way to rebuild self-efficacy.