How do I stop second-guessing myself and trust my call?

I remember sitting at my desk one morning with a cup of tea going cold beside me.

I had this clear idea bubbling up, a project that felt alive in my bones. I could almost see the shape of it, feel the energy of it calling me forward.

And yet, within minutes, my mind had gone into overdrive.
“Who do you think you are? What if no one wants this? What if you start and it all falls apart?”

That spark of excitement dimmed under the weight of doubt. I closed my notebook and told myself I’d “figure it out later.” But later never came... not until I learned to listen differently.

If you’ve ever felt that cycle of inspiration followed by second-guessing, you’re not alone.

Doubt is sneaky like that.

But here’s what I’ve learned about beginning to trust the call that rises within us:

Fear is loud, intuition is steady

Fear shouts, criticises, and throws worst-case scenarios at us. Intuition tends to whisper. It repeats itself gently, nudging us, even when it’s inconvenient. That morning at my desk, my fear was the one yelling. My intuition was the quiet voice that didn’t go away.

Trust shows up in small steps

We often think we need certainty before we act. A full map, a guarantee of success. But clarity usually comes after the first step, not before it. Each small move you make strengthens your trust muscle and proves to yourself, yes, I can do this.

Expansion is your compass

When I thought about following through on my idea, I felt a sense of lightness, even though it scared me. That was expansion. When I imagined shelving it forever, I felt heavy and closed. That’s contraction. Trust the feeling that expands you, even if it stretches you.

Your “why” keeps you steady

When doubt flares up, reconnect to why this call matters. Write it down, stick it on your wall, whisper it to yourself before you sleep. Your “why” is your anchor when the waves of doubt roll in.

I won’t pretend I’ve silenced self-doubt forever... it still pipes up at inconvenient times. But these days, I treat it like background noise. The call is still stronger. And when I let myself follow it, I always end up somewhere richer, truer, more alive.

Maybe the real art isn’t eliminating second-guessing, but choosing to trust yourself despite it.

Because once you say that first yes (even a quiet one), the ground really does start to rise up to meet you.