When you're nervous,
you usually don't have a confidence problem.
You have a preparation problem.
The presentation that scares you,
the interview, the hard conversation ā
most of the fear
comes from uncertainty.
Not knowing what you'll be asked.
Not knowing if you're ready.
You can't think your way
out of that fear.
But you can prepare your way out.
Do the reps.
Rehearse the talk out loud.
Write the answers to the questions
you hope they don't ask.
Walk the path
before you have to run it.
Preparation doesn't remove the nerves entirely.
Nothing does.
But it replaces the shaky feeling
of "I hope this goes okay"
with the solid one of
"I've done this before, even if only alone."
Confidence isn't a personality trait
some people are born with.
It's very often
just the quiet result
of having done the work beforehand.
Nervous?
Don't wait to feel ready.
Go get ready.
ā Asael Shinder
