Introduction

January has a way of doing this to us.

The calendar turns. The inbox fills with “back to it” messages. And somewhere between the first Monday and the second coffee (or in my case tea), a familiar feeling creeps in: I should be further along than this.

I see it constantly in experienced professionals, consultants, leaders, operators, and people with solid track records who nonetheless feel oddly immobile. Not because they lack options, but because every option feels heavier than it should.

They describe it as being stuck.

But in most cases, they’re not stuck at all. They’re hesitating at the edge of their own ability, unsure whether to trust their judgement enough to move.

In this article, I want to unpack why progress stalls even when competence is high, and why learning to trust yourself again is often the missing lever that changes everything.

Competent, Experienced, and Still Hesitating

Many of the professionals I work with have done everything “right”.

They’ve built strong CVs. Accumulated credentials. Delivered results inside complex organisations. On paper, they’re highly capable.

Yet privately, they’re stuck in loops of preparation.

Another course. Another framework. Another six months of thinking before acting.

The tension is subtle but corrosive. You know what you could do: launch the consultancy, reposition your role, speak more boldly, back yourself commercially, but something keeps you hovering just short of commitment.

Often it’s fear dressed up as prudence.

What if I’m not ready?
What if people judge me?
What if I’m wrong?

And so action shrinks. Ambition becomes theoretical. And the longer this goes on, the more it erodes how you see yourself.

When Belief Drops Out of the Action Cycle

Although it’s an uncomfortable reality, most professionals aren’t blocked by a lack of skill. They’re blocked because belief has quietly dropped out of the action cycle.

Every outcome follows a simple loop:

Action → Results → Belief → Identity → Action again

When action slows, results thin out. When results thin out, belief weakens. And when belief weakens, identity contracts.

You don’t stop because you’re incapable.
You stop because you no longer trust your judgment enough to act.

Highly competent people are especially vulnerable here. They overthink where belief is supposed to come from, assuming confidence should arrive before action.

It doesn’t.

Belief is built after movement, not before it.

Rebuilding Trust Through Movement

If trust in yourself has eroded, the answer isn’t more preparation. It’s evidence, and evidence only comes from action.

A few practical shifts help here:

1. Take mass imperfect action
   Not reckless action, but visible, repeated movement. Small decisions taken consistently rebuild self-trust faster than flawless plans.
2. Engineer your environment
   Who you speak to, what you consume, and where you place yourself all affect the quality of action you take. Change the inputs, and behaviour follows.
3. Measure reality, not feelings
   What gets measured exists. Track conversations started, offers made, decisions owned. Data restores perspective.
4. Articulate who you are becoming
   Positioning isn’t arrogance. It’s clarity. If you don’t define your role, others will, and usually inaccurately.

Each of these creates micro-proof that you can decide and survive the outcome.

Why This Matters Now

This isn’t just personal. It’s structural.

We’re in an economy that rewards decision-makers, not perfectionists. Optionality belongs to those willing to move with incomplete information.

Portfolio careers, independent consulting, and leadership transitions are not blocked by a lack of knowledge. They’re blocked by hesitation disguised as readiness.

Waiting for certainty delays identity growth.

And identity, not intelligence, determines long-term earning power and influence.

Conclusion

You don’t need another framework to unlock momentum.

You need to trust yourself enough to move, to decide, adjust, and own the outcome.

Progress begins the moment you stop asking, “Am I ready?”
and start asking “What decision am I avoiding?”

So here’s the real question:

Where in your career are you no longer stuck, just no longer trusting yourself yet?

Understand. Reach. Expand.

Peace.