Stop saying “it was nothing.” It was something, and you’re the one who did it.

Deflecting a compliment feels modest and is mostly a reflex for handling discomfort. The cost is that you delete your own evidence, and evidence is what confidence gets built from later. It also takes something from the person who offered it, who now has to insist or let it drop. Accepting is the more generous move as well as the more accurate one.

Say thank you, and nothing after it, the next three times someone credits you with something. No qualifier, no redirect. Notice how strange that feels, and do it anyway.