The Brit, who starts tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix with his 80th pole position start, says he has overcome times of "insecurities, unhappiness and pressures" early in his career.
Although Hamilton, 33, did not elaborate, he has thrived since joining Mercedes in 2013, as they have allowed him to juggle his private life with his team commitments.
Hamilton has launched his own clothing range and as a result, has a hectic schedule, yet he is still able to deliver when he gets in the cockpit.
He said: "It is a huge mental game. I have always had that belief in myself but it is really that I am now more confident in my abilities as a man than I have ever been.
"In terms of when I wake up at home and leave the house, my confidence level is a million times greater than in 2007 or when I was younger.
"In those times there were insecurities, there were unhappiness and pressures that I did not understand.
"I was being pulled from one side to the other, or to family, and I could not find a balance and now I am my own man."
At 33, only Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso are older drivers on the grid, and Hamilton says his experience with his Mercedes team is only making him faster than when he made his breakthrough in 2007 with McLaren.
He added: "I have always had the ability, so that doesn't change but you hone in on your skills and work on your weaknesses.
"My relationship with my team has become more important to me as I have got older and how I interact with those individuals has become more important.
"I have always been able to drive how I am now, but I reckon I would kick the 2007 me's butt-and he was pretty quick."
Meanwhile, Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has launched a scathing attack on his Ferrari team after they made yet another mistake.
The Italian team made a wrong decision to send out Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on intermediate tyres during qualifying yesterday (SAT) when the rest of the field picked the quicker slicks.
Ferrari were then forced to pit the duo, meaning they lost valuable track time.
It is the latest in a catalogue of cock-ups and Arrivabene says his team are lacking in experience.
He said: "From the way things were done, I do not think that pole position was within our reach, but what happened in qualifying is unacceptable.
Japan GP Final Qualifying
"I am very angry. It is not the first time that these mistakes have occurred.
"I do not feel like pointing my fingers at someone in particular, but I'm very disappointed.
"Unlike on other occasions, it was easy to understand what was happening on the track, as all our opponents left the pits with slicks.
"Sometimes it is more useful to take your eyes off computers and watch the track, using common sense.
"It is true that we are a young team, and we are probably missing an 'old hand', an experienced person capable of reading situations correctly and quickly."
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