The Confidence Formula

Dear Reader,

For a long time, I thought confidence was something I needed to find before I made a change.

Once I felt certain, then I could act.

Once I stopped being afraid, then I could take the leap.

Once I knew everything would work out, then I could begin.

But the biggest changes in my life didn’t happen that way.

I didn’t have complete confidence or fearless when I left a nine-year relationship, changed careers, traveled on my own in a van, lived abroad, or began learning to skydive.

I had questions. I had fear. I sometimes wondered whether I was making a mistake.

What I did have was enough courage to take one step—and then another.

That is how I learned something important:

Confidence usually isn’t the requirement for action. Confidence is the result of reflecting on action.

Action + Reflection = Evidence to Trust Yourself

Each time you make a thoughtful choice, try something unfamiliar, recover from a setback, or discover that you can handle uncertainty, you give yourself new evidence:

“I can trust myself to respond to what happens next.”

That is the kind of confidence I help people build. It isn’t fearlessness or absolute certainty. It’s the belief that you can listen to yourself, make a decision, and adapt along the way.

Here is a small experiment for today:

Choose one thing you have been postponing until you feel more confident.

Then ask:

“What is the smallest step I would be willing to take before I feel completely ready?”

It could be sending an email, researching one possibility, having one conversation, attending an event, or writing down what you actually want.

You don’t have to take the whole leap today.

Just practice trusting yourself with the next step.

And stayed tuned because we'll dive into how to reflect thoughtfully with compassion and curiosity to help you stay motivated when it all seems like too much.

With courage,

Mai Lê
Adventure Mindset Coach
​https://www.mailecoaching.com/