Note 6: Chill, You’re Not Behind, You Just Need Smaller Steps
Feeling behind? You’re not. In this episode of Notes to Her, Yaya gets real about how to stop comparing your progress to everyone else’s and start building confidence one small, intentional step at a time.
If your big goals feel overwhelming or impossible to start, this episode will remind you: it’s not that your dream is too big, your steps are just too heavy. Learn how to shrink your goals, rebuild momentum, and finally feel proud of the progress you’re making.
What You’ll Learn
- Why feeling “behind” is just a story your mind tells you (and how to rewrite it)
- How to break big goals into small, confidence-boosting steps
- The mindset shift that turns procrastination into progress
- Why smaller wins lead to bigger breakthroughs
- How to keep momentum even when motivation fades
If this episode hit home, take a screenshot, tag @coachingwithyaya, and share your small win for the week.
And if you’re ready to go deeper, apply for the 1:1 coaching program Journey to Confidence, where we turn your goals into movement and your mindset into your superpower.
Transcript
Welcome back to Notes.
Speaker A:With her, the daily pep talk.
Speaker A:I'm Yaya, your confidence and mindset coach, here to help you stop shrinking your goals.
Speaker A:Silence the overthinking, and start moving with calm, grounded confidence.
Speaker A:In Note 5, we talk about the power of your words, how the way you speak to yourself can build or break your confidence.
Speaker A:Because every.
Speaker A:I think every.
Speaker A:Sorry, every.
Speaker A:It's not a big deal.
Speaker A:Quietly teaches your brain how much power you believe you have.
Speaker A:If you missed that one, definitely go back and listen.
Speaker A:It's a game changer, because once you clean up your inner language, your action starts to follow.
Speaker A:Now it's time to move forward.
Speaker A:Today we're talking about what to do when you've got a big dream that you've been holding onto, but it feels way too big.
Speaker A:When you're inspired but overwhelmed, excited but frozen.
Speaker A:You ever have a goal that excites you one minute and then completely overwhelms you the next?
Speaker A:Maybe it's starting a business, changing careers, or finally launching that project that you've been sitting on.
Speaker A:And if you're like me and you have ADHD or a creative brain that never stops buzzing, you probably have a million ideas at once.
Speaker A:You want to go all in on everything right now, but that energy can turn from inspiration to chaos real quick.
Speaker A:You start thinking, where do I even begin?
Speaker A:What if I fail?
Speaker A:What if I'm not ready?
Speaker A:But you manage to start 10 things at once.
Speaker A:You get through five, and then your brain starts talking again.
Speaker A:Wait, why does this suddenly feel impossible?
Speaker A:That's where many of us get stuck.
Speaker A:Not because we don't care, but because our minds move faster than our plans.
Speaker A:We overthink, we freeze.
Speaker A:We talk ourselves out of it before we even start.
Speaker A:Today is all about slowing that spin.
Speaker A:Learning how to take one big, beautiful dream and break it into steps that build belief instead of burnout.
Speaker A:So a while back, I coached a woman, let's call her Maya.
Speaker A:Maya had this incredible idea to start her own wellness business.
Speaker A:She had been helping co workers with stress management and journaling tips for years, and she wanted to turn that into a brand.
Speaker A:But every time she thought about it, she'd freeze.
Speaker A:She told me, yeah, yeah, I don't even know where to start.
Speaker A:There's branding, content, website, taxes.
Speaker A:I don't have time or energy for all of that.
Speaker A:So instead of starting, she stayed stuck in research mode.
Speaker A:She'd scroll, compare, tell herself that she needed to learn just one more thing before she began.
Speaker A:And if you've ever done that, that cycle of over preparing Overthinking and quietly talking yourself out of whatever you want.
Speaker A:You know how exhausting it feels.
Speaker A:So I asked Maya one question.
Speaker A:If your dream is a ladder, what's the first rung you can step on?
Speaker A:She thought for a moment and she said, I guess I could just start by writing down who I want to help.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:Not the website, not the logo, just clarity.
Speaker A:A few weeks later, she had outlined her niche, started talking about her mission on Instagram, and booked her very first clarity call.
Speaker A:She didn't climb the whole ladder overnight.
Speaker A:She just kept taking one small step at a time.
Speaker A:And that's what built her confidence.
Speaker A:Not the goal itself, but the movement towards it.
Speaker A:I call this process the confidence ladder.
Speaker A:Because confidence doesn't come from giant leaps.
Speaker A:It comes from micro steps that build momentum.
Speaker A:Every small win is a rung on that ladder.
Speaker A:So let's walk through how to build yours.
Speaker A:Step number one, define your North Star.
Speaker A:This is your big vision, your dream business, the promotion, the move, the book.
Speaker A:The goal that lives deep in your heart.
Speaker A:You don't have to know how to get there yet.
Speaker A:You just need to name it, write it down, say it out loud, claim it as yours.
Speaker A:Step two, shrink the timeline.
Speaker A:When you look too far ahead, your brain freaks out.
Speaker A:It's wired to avoid overwhelm.
Speaker A:So bring it closer.
Speaker A:Ask yourself, what can I do in the next 30 days that moves me one step closer to that goal?
Speaker A:Maybe it's creating a rough outline, sending one email, or setting up a call.
Speaker A:Small actions build big trust in yourself.
Speaker A:Step three, Identify your micro win.
Speaker A:This is where the magic happens.
Speaker A:Micro wins are the smallest, easiest possible steps.
Speaker A:The ones that make progress, feel doable.
Speaker A:If your goal is to launch a business, your micro win might be writing your why.
Speaker A:If your goal is to run a 5k, your micro when might be putting on sneakers and walking around the block.
Speaker A:If your goal is to speak on a stage, your micro when might be practicing a two minute talk in front of the mirror.
Speaker A:Each step creates proof.
Speaker A:And proof rewires your brain faster than any pep talk could.
Speaker A:Because every time you complete a micro win, your brain gets a little hit of dopamine.
Speaker A:That feel good signal that says have Hey, I did that.
Speaker A:I can do it again.
Speaker A:And that's how you build unshakable confidence.
Speaker A:One rung, one when.
Speaker A:One moment of proof at a time.
Speaker A:Okay, so take a deep breath with me.
Speaker A:Inhale.
Speaker A:And now exhale.
Speaker A:Think about a goal that's been sitting in the back of your mind.
Speaker A:That one that excites and intimidates you.
Speaker A:What's the North Star version of that goal?
Speaker A:And then what's one tiny step that you could take toward it this week?
Speaker A:Maybe it's writing your first post.
Speaker A:Maybe it's having that hard conversation.
Speaker A:Maybe it's finally giving yourself permission to believe you can.
Speaker A:Here's what I want you to remember.
Speaker A:You don't have to climb the whole ladder today.
Speaker A:You just have to take the next step.
Speaker A:Because movement, no matter how small, is momentum.
Speaker A:And momentum builds belief.
Speaker A:Now if you're ready to stop overthinking and finally take that next step towards your dream, I would love to help you get there.
Speaker A:My one to one coaching program, Journey to Confidence is designed for women like you, ambitious, capable and tired of standing in their own way.
Speaker A:Together we break the big vision into aligned, doable steps so that you can start moving with clarity and calm confidence.
Speaker A:You can apply through the link in the show notes or DM me on Instagram @coachingwithya.
Speaker A:Just send the word journey and I will send you all the details.
Speaker A:Because big dreams are not meant to feel heavy, they are meant to stretch you one brave, small step at a time.
Speaker A:Next time, we're going to be talking about how to shift your energy when your confidence dips.
Speaker A:Because your body often knows what your mind forgets, you won't want to miss Note 7 Move it like you mean it.
Speaker A:The 2 minute energy reset for instant confidence.
