By Rachael Lawrence, Personal Branding & Visibility Expert
Rachael is a 2026 Power Table 100 Leadership Award winner — recognized for teaching women that real leadership starts with trusting their own judgement.
You can know exactly what you want and still sit on the decision for weeks.
I’ve been there. Overanalysing every option, running through every possible outcome, telling myself I just needed a bit more clarity before I moved. From the outside, it looked like I was being thoughtful and strategic. In reality, I was stuck in a loop of second-guessing myself.
And I see the same pattern in so many of the smart, capable women I work with. They aren’t lacking ideas or ambition. They’re lacking trust in their own decisions.
My turning point came when I was invited to collaborate with a well-known business here in the UK. On paper, it looked incredible. The visibility was there, the chance to be part of a team, to learn, to grow. It was everything I thought I should say yes to.
But when I looked closer, something didn’t sit right. It felt restrictive. Controlled. Not aligned with how I wanted to work or show up. And I knew what my gut was telling me. No.
That was the moment everything shifted. Because for once, this wasn’t about figuring out the “right” decision. It was about having the courage to trust myself enough to make it — without worrying about disappointing someone or immediately second-guessing it afterward. I didn’t want to say no and then spend days questioning it. I wanted to say no confidently.
In this article, I’m sharing the shift that changed everything for me and my clients: how to stop overthinking, start trusting yourself, and make decisions faster without constantly questioning whether you’ve got it right. Because confidence doesn’t come before the decision. It’s built because of it.
Meet the Woman Teaching Ambitious Women to Trust Their Own Judgement, Rachael Lawrence
Rachael Lawrence is a multi-award-winning transformation mentor, personal branding expert, and best-selling author of Confident As F*ck. She helps ambitious women build unshakeable confidence, elevate their personal brand, and transform their lives — creating more income, influence, and impact through aligned decisions and authentic visibility.
Her work sits right at the intersection of mindset and visibility: because the way you make decisions behind the scenes shapes how boldly you’re able to show up out front. In 2026, she was named to the Power Table 100 as a Leadership Award winner — recognition for showing women that leadership isn’t loud; it’s the quiet, consistent practice of backing yourself and standing by your decisions.
Why Capable Women Stay Stuck
High-performing women aren’t stuck because they lack confidence or don’t know what to do. They’re stuck because they don’t trust themselves to make the decision and follow it through.
I see this every day with clients who are experienced, capable, and more than qualified to make the next move — yet they sit in indecision far too long. Not because they lack clarity, but because they’re trying to eliminate risk, avoid getting it wrong, or keep everyone else happy in the process. And it’s exhausting.
Research shows women are more likely to second-guess their decisions and underestimate their readiness, especially in leadership and business. In real terms, that looks like delayed launches, missed opportunities, undercharging, or staying in situations that no longer feel aligned. And that hesitation has a cost.
The women moving forward right now aren’t necessarily the most qualified. They’re the ones willing to decide, act, and adjust as they go. They back themselves and make decisions from a place of alignment, not fear. That’s why learning to trust yourself and decide quickly is no longer optional — it’s a leadership skill. One that gets you more income, influence, and impact.
Here are the five shifts that will actually move your life and business forward.
Shift One: Decide From Identity, Not Emotion
Most people decide based on how they feel in the moment. Feel confident? They move. Feel uncertain? They delay. Deciding from identity means basing the decision on who you’re becoming, not how you feel right now.
Emotions are inconsistent — they change daily, sometimes hourly. Rely on them and your decisions will always feel unstable. Decide from identity and you create consistency, acting in alignment with your future self instead of your current fear.
When I faced that collaboration, I felt torn. Part excited, part restricted. The emotion was mixed. But when I asked, “What would the version of me who fully trusts herself do?” the answer was clear. She would say no.
Try this: Next time you’re stuck, ask, “What would the version of me who trusts herself choose here?” Then choose that. Write down the traits of your future self and use them as a filter, so you don’t fall back into emotional reactions.
Shift Two: Set a Decision Standard
Instead of keeping every option open, create clear standards for what’s a yes and what’s a no. This removes unnecessary decision fatigue.
Too many options create paralysis. When everything feels possible, nothing feels clear. Standards simplify the process and quiet the overthinking.
With that opportunity, I realised I didn’t have a standard in place — I was weighing visibility against alignment with nothing to anchor me. Now one of my non-negotiables is alignment over opportunity. That single standard makes decisions faster.
Try this: Choose three non-negotiables for your work or life — freedom, alignment, flexibility, whatever’s true for you. If something doesn’t meet them, it’s a no. Review your standards quarterly; as you grow, your filters should evolve too.
Shift Three: Trust Your First Response
Your first response is often your most honest one. Overthinking happens when you override that instinct with logic, fear, or other people’s opinions.
Your brain is wired to protect you, not lead you. It will always find reasons to delay or avoid risk. Your instinct is usually quicker and more aligned than the story you build around it afterward.
When I first looked at the collaboration, my gut reaction was no. It felt restrictive. But I almost talked myself out of it because it looked like a good opportunity. Learning to trust that first response changed how I make decisions.
Try this: When facing a decision, write down your immediate response before you analyse it. Notice how often that first answer was actually the right one. Track the times you ignored your instinct — that awareness is how trust gets built.
Shift Four: Make the Decision, Then Back Yourself
Confidence doesn’t come before the decision. It comes after you make it and handle the outcome. Backing yourself means committing instead of questioning the choice on repeat.
Every time you second-guess a decision, you weaken self-trust. Every time you stand by it, you strengthen it. Confidence is built through repetition, not perfection.
Saying no to that opportunity wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was not going back on it. Not wondering if I’d made a mistake. That’s where self-trust is actually built.
Try this: Make a decision this week and commit to not revisiting it for seven days — no overanalysing, no rethinking. Keep a decision journal tracking choices and outcomes, so you can see that even when things don’t go perfectly, you can handle it.
Shift Five: Move Before You Feel Ready
Waiting to feel ready keeps you stuck. Taking action before you feel fully prepared creates momentum and builds confidence naturally.
Readiness is a myth. Wait for certainty and you delay progress indefinitely. Action gives you feedback, clarity, and confidence far faster than thinking ever will.
I used to sit on decisions for weeks. Now I give myself a timeframe. I decide, act, and adjust. That shift alone has changed how quickly I move in my business.
Try this: Set a decision deadline — give yourself 24 to 48 hours to decide on something you’ve been delaying. And reduce the stakes: treat decisions as experiments, not permanent outcomes. That removes the pressure and increases your speed.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
One of my clients came to me stuck in a constant cycle of overthinking. She’d been sitting on a business idea for months, but every time she got close to moving, she’d question herself, change direction, or decide she needed more time. On paper, she was more than ready. Internally, she didn’t trust her own decisions.
We shifted how she approached decision-making. Instead of waiting to feel certain, she started asking, “What would the version of me who trusts herself do?” — and acting from that place.
Within a few weeks, everything changed. She made a clear decision on her offer, launched it, and signed her first paying client. But more importantly, the emotional shift was immediate. She stopped spiralling after every decision. She felt calmer, clearer, more in control of her direction.
I’ve seen the same shift in my own life. Saying no to that collaboration wasn’t just about one opportunity. It was about proving to myself that I could trust my own judgement and stand by it. That’s the real result — not just faster decisions, but a deeper level of self-trust that changes how you show up in every area of your life and business.
Where to Start This Week
If you tend to overthink every decision, start here. Pause and notice where you’re delaying — what decision have you been sitting on longer than you need to?
Then ask one question: what would the version of me who trusts herself do here? Write the answer down before you start analysing it. Give yourself a deadline — 24 to 48 hours is usually plenty. Remove the option to sit in indecision.
Check it against your standards: does this align with how you want to live and work, or are you choosing it out of fear, pressure, or expectation? Once you’ve decided, commit. No revisiting, no overanalysing. Back yourself.
The goal isn’t to get every decision right. It’s to build the kind of self-trust that lets you move forward without constantly questioning yourself. Because confidence doesn’t come before the decision — it’s built every single time you make one and stand by it.
Remember: consistency builds confidence. Not perfection.
Guest Writer: Rachael Lawrence
Rachael Lawrence is a multi-award-winning transformation mentor, personal branding expert, and best-selling author of Confident As F*ck. She helps ambitious women build unshakeable confidence, elevate their personal brand, and transform their lives to create more income, influence, and impact through aligned decisions and authentic visibility. A 2026 Power Table 100 Leadership Award winner, you can find her at rachaellawrence.co.uk or on Instagram @rachaellawrenceuk.
