24 Feb When it’s time to trust yourself
There’s a moment I’ve seen again and again in sport.
It usually happens before anything “big” actually begins.
The morning of an important match. A quiet locker room.
The kind of silence that feels heavier than noise.
I remember one of those mornings clearly, early in my coaching career.
The player I was working with had done everything right.
Months of disciplined training. Every drill executed with intention. Every strategy rehearsed.
And yet, sitting there, tying their shoes, the doubt arrived:
Am I ready? Did I really do enough? What if today is the day everything falls apart?
That voice is familiar to every high performer, and it’s important to say this out loud:
Pressure isn’t only about the crowd, the opponent, or the stakes.
Often, the real pressure comes from within.
From the part of us that questions every choice we’ve made once the moment actually
matters.
This is where trust becomes essential.
Not blind faith. Not arrogance. But something much quieter, and much braver:
Trust in the work you’ve already done, even when results aren’t visible yet.
Trust that preparation doesn’t disappear just because fear shows up.
I had to relearn this lesson while working on my upcoming book.
Opening the first draft for beta readers was its own kind of locker-room moment.
Months (years, even) of writing and rewriting the same chapters over and over.
Polishing sentences in silence, without applause, without certainty.
And still, right before sharing it, that same voice appeared:
Is it ready? Is it enough? Did I miss something important?
What I’ve learned (in sport, in writing, and in life) is that trust doesn’t remove fear.
It doesn’t silence doubt. And it doesn’t guarantee outcomes.
What it does is allow you to move forward anyway.
So, if you’re standing at the edge of something right now: a project, a decision, a match, a new chapter in your life, and hesitation is creeping in, take a moment and ask yourself this:
Have I done the work?
If the answer is yes, then maybe the next step isn’t more preparation.
Maybe it’s trust.
Not because you feel ready. But because you’ve earned the right to step forward.
I’ll leave you with this:
Where in your life are you prepared, but still waiting for2 permission to believe in yourself?
Sometimes, the work has already spoken.
We just need to listen.
Nick..