Doing It Anyway

I used to believe confidence came before action. That once I felt ready - brave, certain, sure of myself - then I’d take the step. That belief kept me stuck longer than I care to admit. Because readiness became the requirement, and readiness never seemed to arrive.

Here’s the truth I learned the hard way - Confidence rarely comes first. It shows up after you move.

I didn’t book that first trip because I felt fearless.
I booked it scared.

I didn’t walk into this new chapter feeling certain.
I walked in shaky, unsure, and questioning myself the whole way.

But I went anyway.

That’s the part most people underestimate - not the leap, not the bravery, but the quiet decision to move forward without reassurance.

Doing it anyway doesn’t mean ignoring fear. It means refusing to let fear make the decisions. It means acknowledging the discomfort, the doubt, the voice in your head asking what if this goes wrong - and choosing to move forward with all of it beside you.

“I didn’t book it fearless. I booked it scared.”

For me, that looked like traveling alone when it would’ve been easier to stay home. Saying yes to things I would’ve talked myself out of before. Rebuilding my life on my terms, instead of waiting for someone else’s plans to dictate what came next.

Each step didn’t magically erase the fear. But it did something more important. It created momentum. And momentum builds confidence - not the loud, flashy kind that announces itself, but the steady, grounded kind that grows quietly over time.

“Doing it anyway means fear doesn’t get to make the decisions.”

The kind of confidence that says:

• I can handle this.

• I don’t need all the answers yet.

• I trust myself enough to begin.

“Momentum builds the confidence you think you’re missing.”

Jackie Doing Jackie isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about doing the thing before you feel ready. Before the fear disappears. Before someone else gives you permission to live your life fully.

Because when you look back, you realize something important: You didn’t become capable after you started. You were capable all along - you just proved it to yourself by going anyway.

About Jackie

Jackie Doing Jackie – Life in New Shoes is a weekly reflection on starting over, choosing momentum over fear, and building a life one honest step at a time - without waiting to feel ready.