The Only Way Out Is Through: Why Experiential Learning Builds Real Confidence

Let’s talk about one of the most underrated tools in your health journey: Actually doing the thing before you feel fully ready.

I know...we all love a good plan. A new tracker. A fresh color-coded spreadsheet. But at some point, we have to stop procrasti-planning and start living it.

That’s where the magic happens. That’s where real confidence starts to build.

Not from reading more. Not from thinking harder. Not from asking for more and more information…but from stepping into something, and learning by living it.

Learning by doing (not just thinking):

You don’t learn how to fuel your body by memorizing macro charts or hunting 100 different protein snack recipes. You learn by actually eating, noticing what meals work for you, where the energy dips are, and where you need a snack buffer.

You don’t learn to strength train by watching Reels or endlessly searching for “the best” program or the quickest way to a 6-pack. You learn by picking a program, picking up the weight, checking in with your form, realizing you went too light (or too heavy), and adjusting next time.

You don’t master weekends by theorizing how to navigate them. You live through a few messy ones. You make notes. You tweak. You try again. You become aware of what you WANT from the weekends - and then you create that through intentional action.

I see this on a weekly basis - people dropping into my DMs with a similar problem:

Reading everything about reverse dieting but terrified to start.

Worried about weight gain. About doing it wrong. About what it might feel like to eat more.

But we start. Slowly. Intentionally. And within a month of committing to the messy start of things…I start getting messages like this:

"It wasn’t perfect, but I I feel like after the first couple weeks, I found my groove, and it doesn’t feel as impossible, or overwhelming, or hard to keep going as I thought it would - kind of wish I had started all this earlier”

That’s the beauty of experiential learning. It clears up the story you’ve been telling yourself — and replaces it with evidence.

This applies to pretty much everything:

Feeling nervous about lifting in the gym? It won’t magically feel less intimidating from your couch. But walking in, doing one thing, and walking out proud? That chips away at the fear. Even if that just means starting with the treadmill a few times a week for some incline walks to scope out the gym setup!

Not sure how to handle a vacation or a work trip? Go - decide what you want to try to do ahead of time - and check in with yourself while you’re there. Make movement enjoyable and fun, make your nutrition include cuisine from your destination…but you can still plan for movement. You can still PLAN for healthy nutrition. Even if it looks nothing like your normal life does.

Overthinking a week of meals & their recipes? You’re doing too much - pick a few build-able foods that are not only SIMPLE (like…little to no recipe), but that you can make extra for lunch the next day. Or you can easily adjust portions of the protein, carbs or veg to match your macro needs.

Here’s the truth: Most people don’t lack discipline. They just haven’t had enough practice being new at things for longer than a few hiccups.

They’ve never actually done the thing they’re trying to get better at. They’ve only imagined it. (or tried, failed once, then gave up)

So let this be your nudge — You don’t need to spend another week planning it perfectly. You need to do it imperfectly.

Give yourself a week of collecting real-life data. What worked? What didn’t? What felt easier than expected? What threw you off?

That’s the info that matters. That’s what helps you move forward.

Confidence doesn’t come from readiness. It comes from doing — and realizing you can figure it out as you go.

Want a coach to help you reflect, adjust, and move forward without the all-or-nothing mindset?