Confidence Begins With Trust

Most people think confidence is something you get once you’re good at something.

I’ve learned the opposite is true.

Confidence begins with trust.

And trust is built by starting, often badly, and continuing anyway.

If you’re waiting to feel confident before you begin, you might be waiting a very long time.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect to Start

You just need to be willing to start where you are.

I’ve been creating things for over 30 years now, newsletters, manuals, workbooks, content, long before Canva, before templates, before “drag and drop” was even a thing.

In the mid-1990s, I was asked to type up a procedures manual for someone applying for a government export licence. I was working on our very first computer, using a dot matrix system. Every single line had to be manually formatted. No templates. No shortcuts. No undo button if you changed your mind.

The first version of the manual was around 20 pages. Then one of the business partners decided he also wanted to do the course, and rewrote the entire thing, doubling it to about 40 pages. Which meant… I had to retype the whole manual from scratch.

Printing professionally back then was expensive and complicated, especially for a one-off document. So I improvised. I printed all 40 pages on our tiny portable printer (about a minute per page), placed them into a display folder, and added rub-on gold letters to the cover.

That manual was sent off with the export application.

Instead of returning it, which was standard practice, the department kept it. They were so impressed with the presentation that they decided to use it as an example for future applicants of what was expected.

Here’s the part I want you to notice:

I wasn’t confident. I was figuring it out as I went.

Trust Comes From Doing, Not Knowing

Even back then, I wasn’t starting from nothing. The educators had provided an example, and I used that as my blueprint. I didn’t waste energy worrying if I was “doing it right”, I followed what worked and adapted it to what was needed.

This is why I love templates so much today. Whether it’s Canva, an ebook layout, or a workbook structure, templates take the stress out of starting. They’re not cheating. They’re support.

You don’t build trust in yourself by waiting.

You build it by doing, adjusting, and continuing.

We All Start Somewhere (Usually With Work We’d Rather Forget)

I look back at some of my early designs, especially things I created years ago using PicMonkey, and I smile. Not because they were amazing, but because they were necessary.

They were part of the process.

Confidence didn’t come from getting it perfect.

It came from repetition, practice, and being willing to feel uncomfortable while learning.

Every confident creator you admire started somewhere awkward.

A Few Truths Worth Remembering

Here’s what experience has taught me:

• Most people only see the overall picture, not the tiny details you’re judging yourself for.

• Creators are the harshest critics of their own work.

• People admire those who do. Most assume you know more than they do simply because you’ve taken action.

• Criticism usually says more about the person offering it than the work itself.

And comparison?

Comparison is the thief of joy, every single time.

Confidence Grows When You Trust Yourself Enough to Begin

Confidence isn’t loud.

It’s quiet trust built over time.

It’s choosing to speak your truth, even if your voice shakes.

It’s trusting yourself enough to try something new.

It’s allowing yourself to be a beginner, again and again.

As Goethe said,

“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”

And I truly believe this: when you develop confidence in your own ability, not blind pride, but an honest awareness of what you can do, you don’t just change your own life. You create better work, clearer messages, and a more meaningful contribution to the world.

So if there’s something you’ve been wanting to create, an ebook, a workbook, a piece of content, or even just an idea, let this be your reminder:

You don’t need to be confident to start.

You just need to trust yourself enough to begin.

Confidence will meet you along the way

P.S. If you’ve already started creating something; an ebook, workbook, or Canva project; but you’re second-guessing it or feeling stuck, this is exactly where my Review & Recommendations Report can help. I’ll review what you’ve created so far and give you clear, practical feedback on layout, structure, and design, without judgment. Sometimes confidence grows fastest when you realise you’re closer than you think.

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