You tell yourself you’ll begin when you feel more confident. Or more sure of the results. Or more solid in your argument. Or have that certificate you’ve been thinking of pursuing.
Then, you’ll be ready.
You tell yourself you’ll begin when you feel more confident. Or more sure of the results. Or more solid in your argument. Or have that certificate you’ve been thinking of pursuing.
Then, you’ll be ready.
Yup. You’ll be ready to put your name forward for the role. Ready to actually complete your research project. Ready to submit the manuscript. You get my point.
Waiting to feel ready keeps you stuck
I understand. I really, really do: I’m risk averse, I’m not oozing with confidence, I love certainty. If we’re anything alike, it means we sometimes hesitate to go for it.
Over the years, both through coaching hundreds of higher education professionals and in my own work, I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t precede action. It grows from it. Waiting to “feel ready” is often what keeps us stuck.
Here’s what I mean:
Action builds confidence (not the other way around)
When you take action before you feel ready, you show yourself that you can move forward without having everything figured out. That first step creates momentum. Over time, it also nudges your sense of identity (Clear, 2018). You start to see yourself as someone who acts, not someone who endlessly prepares.
One of my clients, an academic writer, was caught in this loop. She kept re-reading sources in painstaking detail before drafting, even though she knew the material well. Eventually, she decided to try something different: skimming just enough so she could move on to the part she actually enjoyed (the writing!). That small shift freed her up to start, and the energy followed.
It reminded me of something I’ve written about before, which is the difference between motion and action. Sometimes what feels like preparation is really just circling.
Whether it’s writing, research, or putting your name forward for a new role, progress begins once you start and not once you feel certain.
What about you? Where are you waiting to feel more confident before you begin? Imagine what might change if you started anyway.
I work with faculty and staff in higher education—and others navigating career decisions—who want to move their projects and careers forward without waiting for perfect timing or endless preparation. If that sounds like you, let’s connect: isabeauiqbal(at)gmail(dot)com
Clear, J., & Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: Tiny changes, remarkable results. Penguin Publishing Group.
