For young people
How do I get confident when I don't feel ready?
Confidence usually comes after you start, not before. Waiting until you feel ready can feel like preparing, but after a while it quietly turns into avoiding.
Why starting feels so hard
- Planning feels productive, so it can replace doing
- The fear of getting it wrong in front of others
- The comfort of "maybe", where nothing can fail yet
Get in the water
The water rarely feels warm while you stand on the edge. Once you're in, it's usually not as cold as you thought. The goal isn't to finish; it's to move.
If starting is harder for you than for others
For some people, including many neurodivergent young people, starting a task is the hardest part. That isn't laziness. Try a smaller first step, a few minutes at a time, or working alongside someone else.
From Chapter 3, "Get in the Water".
Quick answers
What's the smallest step I could take today?
Pick something that takes under five minutes and do it now.
Related questions
Why people trust Start Where You Are
- Written by Ash Manuel, a former PE teacher and founder of Growing With Gratitude, which has reached more than 1 million young people across 1,205 schools in 80 countries.
- Foreword by Dr Phil Cummins of the University of Sydney and the Sydney Character Initiative.
- Shaped by conversations with young people about what they actually wanted from a book like this.
- Published by Amba Press and featured on 9News Adelaide.