“It always seems impossible until it's done.”

This famous quote from the legendary South African president Nelson Mandela it's one of my favorites. No matter what goal I'm trying to achieve, nothing seems nearly as insurmountable as what Mandela managed to do – the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa and the country's peaceful transition to majority rule. And yet, he did it. One step at a time, with no guarantee that he will succeed.

There are many factors that go into making a successful entrepreneur, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that believing in yourself is one of them. Faith is what allows you to overcome obstacles and survive obstacles. It's also contagious – if you believe in yourself and your mission, others will too.

Such FAITH it can look like something you either have or you don't, like brown hair or an aversion to cilantro. But this is not true – it can be built. Here's how.

Related: 10 things you can do to increase your self-confidence

Set achievable goals

As humans, we tend to be overconfident in our abilities. like Harvard Business Review put it“We want to feel good about ourselves not only in terms of our accomplishments, but also in terms of our aspirations. Therefore, when we evaluate our ability to achieve goals, we tend to be overly charitable.”

While it can be beneficial to set distant goals, the consequences can also be harmful. False hope syndromeor setting unrealistic expectations that lead to a cycle of failure and renewed effort can result in a significant decline in self-esteem. Before you know it, the goal is gone, replaced by a far less productive sense of self-pity and loss.

Take the process of writing a book. I love to write and making my daily morning page practice an essential part of my routine. But when I started writing my first book, I knew it was important to pace myself – I had never done anything like this before, but I realized that just like starting a business, it would be a marathon, no a sprint.

Instead of sitting at my desk one day, determined to knock out the first few chapters in a single sitting, I made a plan. I created a detailed outline and set achievable goals within this framework. I estimated how much I could do in a given period and adjusted as needed until I settled into a rhythm. Sometimes, life got in the way—one of my kids got the flu, or I ended up with a new product at Jotform—and I wasn't able to stick to the schedule I made. I gave myself some freedom without allowing myself to make excuses.

Every time I hit one of mine micro-goalsI gave myself a pat on the back. Those little accomplishments added up, and finally, it happened—I had a whole book.

Stay motivated

When you're working towards a long-term goal, it's only natural that at some point, your motivation can start to show. We tend to seek immediate gratification – even Sigmund Freud called it “the pleasure principle.”

To stay committed to your long-term goals, you need to find ways to stay motivated. For me, I like looking for books and blogs about successful people. Reading about the odds others have overcome and their dedication to their mission, whether it's ending apartheid or starting a company, is inspiring and keeps my spirits up when the going gets tough.

As a proud founder with bootsI also find motivation by seeing a growth trend in my business. Even if you're not making a massive profit yet, this uptrend is a sign that you're on the right track. That's another reason I've always had avoid VC money — When you make an investment, you should watch your bank balance decrease every month. It's depressing. With bootstrapping, this balance should increase, sending a signal that the sacrifices you're making are worth it.

Related: Business Tips in 60 Seconds: 3 Ways to Increase Confidence

Embrace your strengths and accept your weaknesses

Maybe there's a reason you're on the path you're on. You wouldn't try to become a chef if you hated cooking, or dream up a new SaaS product if you hated coding. It is important to know your strengthsbut being aware of your weaknesses also makes you less likely to be crippled by them.

I find that knowing my weaknesses and working on them is the best way to keep them from taking up too much of my mental space. I'm an introvert, and the first time I gave a speech in front of a room full of people, I was incredibly nervous. My first attempts did not go perfectly. But instead of beating myself up, or deciding I was a failure, I exercised. And practiced, and practiced. Now, I actually like giving speeches. Embracing discomfort and the risk of deviating from what I knew I was good at allowed me to grow confidence.

There are no two ways about it – if you want to achieve something meaningful, there will be times when it will be difficult. Believing in yourself and your abilities will make the setbacks less painful and give you the strength to keep going.