Why You Don’t Need to Have It All Figured Out to Be Confident

I used to think confidence came from having a perfect plan, every step mapped out, every possible question answered in advance. I imagined confident women striding into rooms knowing exactly where they were headed and how they’d get there.

Here’s what I’ve learned: those women don’t exist. Even the ones who look like they’ve got it all together are figuring things out as they go.

If you’ve ever delayed making a move because you “need to get everything sorted first,” I get it.

But self-confidence doesn’t come from knowing every answer. It comes from trusting that you can handle whatever comes next.

Why It Matters
When you believe you have to “be ready” before you act, you delay your own growth. Opportunities pass by while you wait for the right moment, the perfect plan, or the guarantee that nothing will go wrong. That moment never arrives.

Confidence built on having it all figured out is fragile, one unexpected twist, and it crumbles. But confidence built on self-trust? That lasts. Because you’re not betting on the plan, you’re betting on yourself.

Why Feeling Ready Is Overrated
We imagine readiness as a switch that flips: one day we’re unsure, the next we’re certain. But most of the time, readiness is something you create through action.

Think about the first time you drove a car. You didn’t feel ready. You got in, stalled, lurched forward, learned to coordinate pedals and mirrors  and slowly, you became a driver. Confidence came after the doing, not before.

Mistake 1: Confusing Clarity with Certainty
We wait for a crystal-clear vision of the future before taking step one. But life rarely gives us that gift.

What to do instead: Accept that clarity often comes mid-journey. Take the first step with the information you have now.

Mistake 2: Believing You Need the Whole Map
Some women hold back because they can’t see every turn ahead. The truth? You only need to see the next few metres of road.

What to do instead: Focus on your next right step. One decision, one action, one conversation.

Mistake 3: Thinking Confidence Means Zero Doubt
Confidence isn’t the absence of doubt. It’s the willingness to act even while doubt is sitting in the passenger seat.

What to do instead: Make space for doubt without letting it drive. Acknowledge it, then take action anyway.

Everyday Example
A friend of mine once applied for a senior role she didn’t feel ready for. She assumed she’d be laughed out of the interview. Instead, they offered her the job. Not because she knew it all, but because she showed she could figure things out. That’s the skill most people are really hiring for, in work and in life.

Apply the Learning in Small Ways

Here’s your 7-day self-confidence experiment:

Think of something you’ve been putting off because you don’t feel ready.

Break it down into one small, low-risk step you can take this week.

Take the step.

Afterward, jot down what happened and how you handled it - even if it didn’t go perfectly.

You’ll start building proof that you can move forward without a perfect plan.

Why It Can Feel Hard to Let Go of the “All Figured Out” Myth
We are raised to believe the smart choice is the safe choice. Have the facts, avoid mistakes, make the right move. But in reality, waiting for all the facts can mean you never move at all. The women who seem to “know” aren’t any more certain than you, they have just learned to move with uncertainty instead of against it.

Capture the Takeaway
Self-confidence grows from evidence, not from theory. You don’t need to know the whole path to start walking it. You just need to know the next step and trust that you’ll be able to handle the one after that when it comes.

Your Next Step
Identify one area of your life where you’ve been waiting to “feel ready.” Decide on a single, small action you can take in the next 48 hours. Do it, then notice how your confidence shifts not because you solved everything, but because you moved.