February 10th, 2026

A few years ago, I began working one-on-one with a coach because I felt like I wasn’t getting the traction I was hoping for in my company. I wanted clearer direction and more certainty around the best next steps.

What surprised me was how rarely she actually told me what to do.

Most of our calls looked like this: I would talk through a situation out loud. The options. The concerns. The tradeoffs. What mattered to me. What didn’t.

And somewhere in the middle of explaining it, the answer would usually show up.

Not because she always gave it to me, but because I already had it. I just hadn’t taken the time or space to think it through properly.

I was reminded of that this week on a call.

I spoke with someone who was considering working together and felt unsure about the next steps with his companies. He was torn between a few directions and worried about making the wrong move. As we talked, I asked him to walk me through what he cared about most and what he didn’t want to compromise.

Then I repeated a few things he had said back to him, but added, “It sounds like you actually have more figured out in terms of direction than you’re letting yourself believe.”

He paused. Smiled. And laughed.

Because it was obvious once he heard it.

He wasn’t confused. He was overthinking.

I think this happens to a lot of us.

We assume that feeling uncertain means we’re missing information. So we look for more advice. More opinions. More perspectives.

But often, uncertainty comes from noise. Too many inputs. Too many comparisons. Too little quiet thinking.

Clarity usually isn’t about adding more. It’s about creating space.

Sometimes what we need most is someone we respect to reflect our own thinking back to us and say, “You’re on track.”

So if you’ve been questioning yourself lately, consider this your reminder.

You probably already know what the right next step is.

You just needed to hear it out loud.

You’re on track.