Happy Girl on the Rise Wednesday,

And happy post-Valentine’s Day. Whether you did or didn’t have a “special someone” to celebrate the day, I hope you showed a little extra love to yourself because you’re a “special someone,” too!

This week's newsletter is about forward movement and the biggest obstacle standing in your way - yourself.

Today’s Girl on the Rise Newsletter is 799 words (2-minute read)

This week’s affirmation:

“I trust myself to take one small, imperfect step forward.”

Why Waiting to Feel Ready Is Keeping You Stuck.

There’s a version of you, of all of us, that keeps saying, “I’ll do it when I feel ready.”

When I feel more confident.

When I have more clarity.

When I’m less afraid.

When I know it will work.

Sound familiar?

But I have a theory, which I developed from experience after endlessly procrastinating and delaying action because I didn’t feel ready yet.

I call it the Jump First & Trust Theory. And it centers around this idea:

What if “ready” isn’t a feeling you arrive at first? What if it’s something that arrives after you jump? After you trust yourself first?

The Lie We Believe

Somewhere along our existence, and it varies for everyone, we learned that courage requires certainty.

Some examples of this are:

• That the brave are the ones who aren’t afraid.

• That the right decision is the one that feels calm and obvious.

• That if we’re still nervous, unsure, or doubting ourselves, it mustn’t be the right time.

But in my experience, almost every meaningful decision I’ve ever made came with a lot of fear attached.

• Joining the military.

• Leaving the only place and only people I knew.

• Coming out as gay.

• Learning how to live in a new country on my own.

• Leaving the military and a life of structure for a life of freedom.

I didn’t feel ready for any of it. Taking the jump felt like carelessly leaping into a black hole. There was no certainty of the outcome. BUT…

I felt called! And that’s where trust comes in. We all have an internal “knowing” that often knows that we have what it takes before we believe we do.

You see, you can be afraid, but still know that staying where you are isn’t what’s right for you anymore. Trust often comes before readiness.

“Ready” Comes With Motion

Clarity comes from movement. Like you know how going for a walk helps you think things through? Yeah, clarity doesn’t come first; it comes with motion.

Confidence doesn’t precede action. It follows it. Just like how you gain more confidence in something the more you do it.

Movement/Action is the ingredient, not the byproduct.

The reason you feel stuck is that you believe that the ingredient you’re missing is motivation, certainty, courage, confidence, etc. But what you’re really missing is action. Everything else comes after you take the step forward!

Waiting until you feel ready won’t make you feel ready. Because the “ready” feeling only arrives after you begin.

Being afraid is human.

But fear doesn’t always mean stop.

Sometimes it means trust.

Staying where you are, simply because you don’t feel fully prepared, might be the very thing keeping you small.

And 2026 ain’t the year for that shit.

This Week’s Invitation

Is there something you’ve been postponing because you don’t feel ready?

What would it look like if you trusted yourself and took one small, imperfect step toward it?

Until next time, keep going and keep growing.

Coach Tay

P.S. Let’s make 2026 the year of YOU! If you want support building a life that feels aligned, energized, and deeply YOU in 2026, my RiseStronger Coaching Program is open for new clients. Your next level is literally one decision away, and it could just be the best decision you ever make! Click on “the button” to book a free discovery call. Or, reply to this email and let’s talk. Taking the first step doesn’t have to be scary!

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