confidence is the mastery of response
"Confidence doesn't come from knowing that you control the outcome of a given event or moment. It comes from knowing that you control your response to a given event. Confidence is about your competitive drive, your focus, positivity, perseverance, and grit, and whether you can maintain those characteristics when it matters most.
Generally, the formula is: Event + Response = Outcome
Focus on your response and your delivery, not the event or the outcome. Your mindset remains the same whether you're good or bad at an event.
Exceptional competitors understand that the primary competition is themselves. They understand that the biggest struggle is always the one within, the struggle to bring their best physical and mental self to the competition floor and maintain that presence until they cross the finish line.
Ultimate confidence is the understanding that you simply need to find a way to give your best at every moment and every opportunity in order to measure up to your own standard of success.
Meticulous thought while training brings you success, but during competition, we want things to be automatic.
Success to me is giving full effort knowing that was the best I was capable of. That said, full effort means nothing if day-to-day preparation was not all I had. Success to me is giving everything I have into each and every day, each and every moment; training, recovery, family, friends, giving back, inspiring, loving what I do. Then, come game time, give full effort, knowing I am the best I am capable of becoming.
Notice there's no mention of outcomes, winning, or personal records.
When Mat goes to the gym, he doesn't show up just to get the programmed training in. He comes to compete. He trains like he's possessed. The gym is where and when he builds his competitive edge, and you can see the result of that mindset every time he takes the floor in competition. Mat is able to compete with excellence because he trains with excellence, day in and day out."
~ Ben Bergeron
Source: Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron