The Work Comes Before the Belief

This statement is one of the recent revelations that I've encountered through a combination of personal experience and observing patterns in others' journeys.

For one, it flips the common notion that belief (in yourself, in a goal, in a method) is a prerequisite for action.

And it posits that consistent effort, action, and engagement often precede the development of genuine conviction, confidence, or even clarity.

From a certain point of view, it makes complete sense.

Belief, as in conviction is often earned through experience, not simply declared.

You don't necessarily believe you can run a marathon until you've consistently trained, pushed through pain, and seen your mileage increase.

Action provides the data for belief.
We gather evidence of our capabilities, the validity of a path, or the potential for success (or not) by doing the work.

Inertia is overcome by motion.
Instead of waiting for motivation or faith, simply starting the work can create the conditions for belief to emerge.

Clarity follows engagement.
You don't always need to have a perfectly clear vision or unwavering belief at the outset; taking steps can reveal the path and solidify your conviction.

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Contrast with Conventional Wisdom

Conventional wisdom states: "Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything," or "You have to believe to succeed."

I think this is all well and true, especially when you're facing an uphill battle or need that initial spark of courage to even contemplate a goal.

I'm quite sure that I wouldn't have persevered through significant personal challenges had I not had a strong element of belief in myself long before seeing any tangible results.

But this is mostly from a general point of view, in that it applies broadly to a foundational sense of self-worth and aspirational thinking, such as an inherent urge to aim high.

I think when it comes to the specifics of skill acquisition, project completion, or building any form of sustainable success, belief is more often a consequence of effort than a cause of it.

Let's say a frustrated creative who's been "meaning to write" finally commits to 500 words a day.

And the main reason why isn't because they believe they're the next great novelist but because they're tired of talking about it.

Provided the commitment is kept, months later, looking at pages of work they've actually produced, they'll discover something that no amount of positive thinking could have given them, which is proof.

The Waiting Trap

How many dreams have died in the space between "I should do this" and "when I feel ready"?

Between waiting for motivation to strike or doubt to disappear or the starts to perfect align, we inadvertently build invisible walls around our potential.

Meanwhile, the work sits undone, and our conviction only grows weaker with time.

This type of waiting is seductive because it feels responsible.

I can tell myself that I'm being thoughtful, preparing mentally, gathering confidence, etc.

In reality and crucially, I'm actually stuck in a loop where the absence of action reinforces my lack of belief, which justifies more inaction.

The Mechanics of Building Belief

When we do the work first, several things happen:

We gather real data.
Every small success, problem solved, skill developed becomes evidence, as in tangible proof of one's growing capability.

We discover what we didn't know we didn't know.
Action reveals gaps in our knowledge and understanding that contemplation alone never could. Addressing these gaps builds competence, and competence breeds legitimate confidence.

We surprise ourselves.
This is the part that I personally find most interesting.

I've recently started a daily sketching practice, nothing serious other than spending ten minutes each evening on a dedicated sketchbook, but one of the recent discoveries I've made is not having an eye for proportion.

I always mess up the relative sizes of objects or features, making my sketches look distorted, most of the time!

Discoveries don't happen in the realm of thought, more often than not, they emerge through engagement.

Do that work. Do it again tomorrow. Let the belief build itself from the evidence you create, and then watch as the impossible begins to feel inevitable.


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