Starting something new can be terrifying. Trust me—I know firsthand. One of the biggest reasons I delayed my own success for so long was because I was scared of starting. I let fear, self-doubt, and perfectionism hold me back. I kept thinking, What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? What if people judge me? And because of that, I spent years stuck in the same place, watching others chase their dreams while mine sat on the back burner.
But here’s what I realized: starting is the hardest part. Once you take that first step, things start to fall into place. The confidence you’re looking for? It doesn’t come before you start. It comes after you take action.
So today, I want to share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about staying confident when you’re stepping into something new. Whether you’re starting a business, pursuing a passion, or just making a change in your life, these mindset shifts will help you move forward—even when fear tries to hold you back.
1. Accept That Fear Is Normal
A lot of us think confidence means having no fear. But that’s not true. Even the most successful people still feel fear when they start something new. The difference? They don’t let it stop them.
Fear isn’t a sign that you’re not ready—it’s a sign that you’re growing. Every time you step out of your comfort zone, your mind will try to protect you by making you doubt yourself. Instead of fighting that fear, acknowledge it. Say to yourself, I’m scared, and that’s okay. But I’m going to do it anyway.
2. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
One of the biggest mistakes I made was waiting until I felt “ready.” I kept telling myself, I’ll start when I have everything figured out. But here’s the thing—you’ll never have everything figured out. There will always be more to learn, more to improve, and more reasons to wait if you let them.
Instead of striving for perfection, strive for progress. Start messy. Make mistakes. Learn as you go. The people you admire didn’t start as experts—they became experts by showing up every day, taking imperfect action, and growing through experience.
3. Stop Worrying About What Others Think
I used to be so afraid of what people would say about me. What if they laughed at me? What if they thought I wasn’t good enough?
But here’s the truth: most people are too focused on their own lives to be judging yours. And the ones who do judge? They’re not the ones living your life—you are.
At the end of the day, you have to decide: do you want to live your life for others, or do you want to go after what truly makes you happy? The people who matter will support you, and the ones who don’t? They were never meant to be part of your journey anyway.
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4. Surround Yourself with the Right People
Confidence isn’t something you build alone—it’s something that grows when you’re surrounded by people who believe in you. If you’re constantly around negativity and doubt, it’s going to be hard to stay motivated.
Find a community that uplifts you. Seek out mentors, friends, and role models who inspire you to keep going. And most importantly, cut out the voices that make you feel small. Your environment plays a huge role in your mindset—make sure it’s one that pushes you forward.
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Sometimes, the reason we feel overwhelmed is because we’re looking at the big picture instead of just focusing on the next step.
When I first started my journey, I made the mistake of trying to plan everything at once. I wanted to see the whole path before taking a step. But that only led to more fear and overthinking.
What helped me was breaking things down into small, manageable steps. Instead of focusing on the entire journey, I just asked myself, What’s one thing I can do today to move forward? It could be as simple as writing down an idea, reaching out to a mentor, or setting a goal for the week.
Small steps add up. And before you know it, you’ll look back and realize just how far you’ve come.
6. Embrace Failure as Part of the Process
One of the biggest mindset shifts I had to make was seeing failure as feedback, not as a dead end.
When you’re trying something new, you will make mistakes. You will face setbacks. You will have moments where things don’t go as planned. And that’s okay. Every successful person you look up to has faced failure—it’s how they learned, improved, and got to where they are today.
Instead of seeing failure as a reason to stop, see it as a lesson. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this? How can I do better next time? Every “failure” is just another step forward, as long as you keep going.
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Pre-order my upcoming book with Wiley, Bridging the Confidence Gap, where I share actionable tools to help individuals and teams thrive!
7. Trust Yourself
At the end of the day, confidence comes down to trusting yourself—even when you don’t have all the answers.
You don’t need permission from anyone to chase your dreams. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you begin. You are capable, you are worthy, and you are more than enough to start today.
The hardest part is taking that first step. But once you do, you’ll realize you’re stronger than you thought.
Take Action Today 🚀
Are you ready to prepare the next generation of leaders? Here’s how I can help:
👉 1. Book Me as a Corporate Trainer or Speaker
Let me help your organization design and deliver a blended learning program that engages, inspires, and drives results. I specialize in confidence-building and practical strategies to create high-performing teams.
In my new book with Wiley, I explore how confidence shapes success in the workplace and share actionable tools to help individuals and teams thrive. Pre-order your copy today to gain insights that will complement your training programs.
Discover how confident you or your employees are and uncover tips to boost self-assurance in the workplace. Confidence is at the heart of effective learning and leadership.
P.S. If you are looking for ways to help women in your company increase their self-confidence to become effective leaders, you can contact me as I hold workshops and talks on this subject. You can contact me here.
P.P.S. Preorder my upcoming book Bridging the Confidence Gap. Click here to preorder your copy of the book
P.P.P.S. Order my book, The Tao of Self-Confidence today. Click here to order your copy of the book.
