From 3 episodes
Do I need to feel confident before I start working out?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
No. Nikkiey Stott and guest Britley Williams both say confidence comes after you act, not before. You make the decision and take the courageous step first, and then each workout becomes evidence that you can handle it. Waiting until you feel ready only costs you time and results, because your body keeps changing either way.
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Nikkiey on why you have to act afraid, because confidence is only built through action
Plays from 24:43 · Ep. 348: How to Stop Fearing Judgment at the Gym After 40
Britley Williams on why courage comes first and confidence is built afterward
Plays from 16:57 · Ep. 90: What Is Somatic Therapy and How Can Breathwork Help You?
Nikkiey: the decision comes first, then belief follows and the evidence builds
Plays from 12:48 · Ep. 399: Why Can't I Stay Consistent With Fitness After 40?
Nikkiey on the time and results you lose waiting until you feel ready
Plays from 20:01 · Ep. 348: How to Stop Fearing Judgment at the Gym After 40
The full answer
On Ep. 90, breathwork facilitator Britley Williams says we have it backwards. We tend to think confidence and comfort have to come before a courageous act. Her example is signing up for a WarriorBabe program with 30 pounds to lose. At that point you don't have the confidence that you can do it, and you definitely don't have the comfort of being on the other side of it. The courage comes first. The confidence and trust get built along the way, and she describes it as developing a trust muscle with yourself.
Nikkiey makes the same point on Ep. 399. She says you don't need to feel ready or confident, and you don't need to fully believe in yourself. The decision comes first, the belief follows, and then the evidence builds. She adds that the decision is available right now, not in January and not once work settles down.
On Ep. 348, she gets practical about what is often underneath "I'm not confident enough," which is fear of being judged at the gym:
- Name it. Ask yourself whether your hesitation is fear of judgment. Naming it takes you off autopilot.
- Do it afraid. Walk into the weight room anyway and say your goals out loud anyway. Each time builds evidence that you can handle it, and the fear gets smaller.
- Get around women who are doing it. What feels scary in isolation feels possible in a community.
She is also clear about the cost of waiting. Every month you put off starting because you don't feel ready or confident enough is time you won't get back. Staying comfortable with lighter weights and easier exercises limits what your body can build. If confidence hasn't shown up yet, that doesn't mean something is wrong with you. Confidence simply arrives after you start.
From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
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What should I do on weeks when I can't follow my full fitness plan?
Drop to a minimum standard instead of stopping. Nikkiey suggests deciding in advance what your hard-week version looks like, such as three strength sessions instead of four, 7,000 steps instead of 10,000, and protein three times a day. She says that still counts as consistency, and doing part of your plan beats doing none of it.
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Watch or listen in full
More on this topic →
19 minWhy Can't I Stay Consistent With Fitness After 40?
Episode 399 · Sep 25, 2026
28 minHow to Stop Fearing Judgment at the Gym After 40
Episode 348 · Mar 30, 2026
1 hr 2 minWhat Is Somatic Therapy and How Can Breathwork Help You?
With Britley Williams