When we train, we are often most focused on raising the ceiling of our abilities. We want to move into new higher realms of accomplishment. I couldn’t lift X weight last year. Now I can. I feel good. However, raising the floor is as valid as raising the ceiling, especially when it comes to the development of confidence. You may not be about to raise the ceiling every time you go work out (or write some new code, or do some other project), but you’re more likely to be able to raise the floor for how bad any given instance of you doing the thing turns out. The net result is the same, you’re getting better.
This is also what happens when you Compare Yourself to Your Average.