You don't need more confidence

One of the things I hear repeatedly from women considering a career change is, "I just need to feel more confident before I do anything."

Why confidence rarely comes first

I understand that. Career change can feel like a huge leap, particularly when you've spent years becoming competent and established in your current role. Starting again, or even contemplating a different direction, can make you feel like you're suddenly a beginner again.

But I'm not convinced confidence is the thing you need before you start.

When I left teaching, I didn't have complete confidence that everything would work out. I had questions, doubts and responsibilities. I didn't know exactly how the next chapter would unfold, and I certainly didn't have a guarantee that every decision I made would be the right one.

Start smaller than you think

What I did have was enough conviction to take the next step.

And that's an important distinction. We often think confidence comes first and action follows, when actually it is very often the other way around. You take a small action, you learn something from it, you realise you are capable of handling the uncertainty, and that creates a little more confidence. Then you take another step.

I've seen this with women I've worked with too. They can spend months thinking they need to be more confident, when what they actually need is to start gathering evidence that they can make progress. A conversation with someone in a different industry, researching a potential qualification, exploring an idea or simply acknowledging what they no longer want can all be valuable first steps.

Let action create the evidence

So don't make your task this week "become confident enough to change your career". That's far too big.

Instead, choose one small thing you can do that moves you towards a different future. Put it in your diary and, importantly, actually do it. This is where accountability matters. Thinking about change isn't the same as making change.

Try this

Choose one small action that moves you towards a different future. Put it in your diary and make it specific enough to complete this week.

Ready to explore your next step?

If you are tired of going round in circles and would like calm, practical support, book a 30-minute Advice Call. You do not need to have all the answers before you begin.

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