Last night, I gave a PowerPoint presentation to some friends about a web app I built. Nothing major—just a casual catch-up, a chance to practise presenting. But as the clock ticked down, I felt a nervous energy creeping in. It didn’t make sense. I knew my project inside out. I’d poured hours into designing and developing it. Yet there I was, second-guessing myself.

The truth was, I hadn’t properly rehearsed. I hadn’t run through my slides out loud, hadn’t thought about how to structure my explanations clearly, hadn’t prepared for potential questions. And as the moment arrived, I regretted it. This wasn’t some huge, high-stakes event, but still—I wanted to do a good job, and I knew I could have done more.

Kobe Bryant once said his confidence came from knowing he had done everything possible to prepare. That’s when it clicked for me. Confidence isn’t something you magically have—it’s something you earn. When I feel nervous, it’s not a random emotion. It’s my brain telling me I left gaps in my preparation. If I’d put in the work—if I’d rehearsed until the words felt automatic, anticipated every possible question—I wouldn’t have felt that way.

It’s easy to mistake confidence for a personality trait, something some people are just born with. But that’s not how it works. The people who seem effortlessly confident aren’t fearless—they’re prepared. They’ve done the work behind the scenes, so when the moment comes, there’s nothing left to doubt.

Now, when I feel that pit in my stomach, I don’t see it as a weakness. I see it as a clue. A reminder that confidence isn’t about hoping things go well—it’s about knowing you’ve done everything possible to make sure they will.