The question that kept me stuck for years


Hey Reader,

You may have 'heard' me say this before already...

But I say it over and over again because I myself often need the reminder.

Clarity and confidence are not something you need to do the big, uncomfortable, hard things you keep avoiding.

It's often the opposite.

You do big, uncomfortable, hard things, even when you're scared, nervous, or simply unsure you can. And that is exactly what builds the proof and the belief that you are capable of doing bigger, more uncomfortable, harder things.

When you start with the action, you prove to yourself over and over that all those times you said, "I can't do this", are not actually true and that you're much more capable than what you give yourself credit for.

That's what gives you the clarity and the confidence that you want.

"You don't fake it until you make it".

Instead, I like to say, "You practice it until you become it".

Action, especially repetitive action, is the way you become confident and competent at anything.

The truth is, I've basically never felt ready for anything the first time around. Or even the first few times.

The first time I moved to another city, the first time I lived by myself, the first time I dated someone and stayed over, the first time I traveled by myself, the first time I ran a half-marathon or a full marathon, the first few times I tried CrossFit, Yoga, Pilates, or any new fitness class, the first time I did improv in a stage, the first time I rock-climbed and did SUP out in nature, the first times I did sales or coaching calls, the first time I started sharing my ideas online...

I didn't feel ready or confident to do any of those, no matter how small or big they were at the moment.

But often, that's also when I have felt the proudest of myself. Often, those were the moments that stretched and expanded my comfort zone and the ones that have also become what I now consider my biggest wins in any domain of life.

You don't get confidence BEFORE you do something.

You get it as a RESULT of doing the thing. You only start to feel ready the second, and sometimes even the third, fourth, and so on, times around.

I liked this short clip of Leila Hormozi sharing exactly this same message.

So, the question to ask ourselves is this:

"What do I continue procrastinating about because I'm waiting until I feel ready to do it?"

For me, it's actually a pretty simple answer.

I keep pushing back and stalling on getting my coaching and workshop offers out to the public, because of this annoying fear of rejection and visibility (or really, failing in public).

What about you? The only way to move forward is to first make it real.

Hit reply here and share what you keep procrastinating on and the "why" behind it. We will work on it together and finally get some traction moving. I've got you.


What the next-level version of you would be doing right now

Next-level version of you would:

  • Decide faster, even with incomplete information
  • Fail forward (and redefine 'failure' as one step closer to succeeding)
  • Repeating yourself (consistency instead of intensity)
  • Let things be misunderstood instead of endlessly clarifying yourself
  • Measure success by traction, not elegance or perfection
  • Choose momentum and progress over mastery

The version would not be asking:

“Am I ready?”

Instead, your next-level version would be asking:

“What’s the fastest path I can take to get proof?”

Decide to stop auditioning for your future, and actually step into it.😉

P.S.1: I will actually follow my own advice and send you more about what I've been working on in the next couple of weeks. I'm excited to take you along for the journey!


What I'm loving right now

Every week, I try to share with you what I'm thinking and loving lately.

But the truth is that my life is pretty simple and "boring", as I tend to focus on a few things at a time.

Right now, that's meditating and taking a walk every morning, lifting heavier weights at the gym (I have been saving all the booty-growth routines I get on IG), trying to improve my time-management skills to create more video content, making travel plans for spring and fall (I'm making space to plan and schedule the fun in my life first), and bingeing shows that make me feel like I'm another life (the last two were: Landman, on Amazon Prime Video, and Run Away on Netflix).

P.S.2: If you've been feeling unmotivated with your habits and daily life, in this episode, I break down the “Three Daily Wins” simple framework to turn things around. 🎧 Listen here on Spotify. Or on Apple Podcasts.

And Reader, in case you ever forget it, you are loved, you are worthy, and you are capable of creating a life you love. Always. It's time to go out there and DO. SOMETHING. ABOUT. IT.

Jenny 😉

Love creating your mind one day at a time? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below.

Thank you for reading and sharing,
Jenny

The Created Mind

A weekly newsletter with science-backed mindset tools to help you rediscover your personal power, overcome self-doubt, be more productive (and still be mindful), and start taking action on all those risks you have been avoiding to create a life you love every day. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers every week!

Read more from The Created Mind
The quiet cost of waiting

Hey Reader, Have you ever been described in one way and thought to yourself, "Really, people see me like that?" Just yesterday, I was talking with my sister, and she mentioned that everyone always tells her about how peculiar her sister (aka, me) is and that she never takes it the wrong way because she already knows I'm peculiar. She has always said, in her words, that "I live in Jennyland", so I guess it doesn't really come as a total surprise that she finds me peculiar. At the moment, I...

What if the bigger risk is this?

Hey Reader, You're going to die. I don't tell you this to be morbid or anything like that. This past week, I was just reminded of my own mortality. Not in any big, grand way. Just in those small moments that make you feel like you're not doing several things for fear (fear of failing, fear of being judged, fear of not being "good enough"), and then you hear this simple truth, in 3-4 generations, your great grandkids won't probably know your name, or what you did, or how you may have failed...

What is worth doing even if you fail?

Hey Reader, This past week, I've been thinking a lot about trust, boldness, and courage. Thomas Jefferson said, "If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done." This makes me think about how easy it is to stay in what is known, in what feels comfortable. How easy it is to keep doing what you already do, even when it’s not working or even if it doesn't lead you to what you want. The truth is that comfort rarely leads us to growth. When you think...