The Confidence Shortcut with Niki Sterner
The Confidence Shortcut is your permission slip to start before you’re ready. Hosted by actor, comedian & producer Niki Sterner, each episode is packed with honest conversations, mindset tools, and practical shortcuts to help you silence your inner critic, develop a growth mindset, and get unstuck.
Designed for high-achieving creatives, performers, visionaries, and entrepreneurs, this podcast helps you build the habit of courage in the face of fear—so you can finally share your voice with the world.
If you’ve ever wondered how to build confidence, overcome self-doubt, or stop overthinking and start taking action, this show is your weekly boost of momentum. Whether you’re battling imposter syndrome, stuck in perfectionism, or simply afraid to take the next step, you’ll leave each episode with real-life tools and the confidence to move forward—one bold (and sometimes messy) step at a time.
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show wherever you’re listening, and grab your free “Confidence Kickstart” in the show notes.
The Confidence Shortcut with Niki Sterner
#24: Niki Sterner | A Day in the Life of Your Wildest YES Life | An Energetic Rehearsal for Your Future
Ever feel like your dream is floating just out of reach—beautiful, but foggy and far away? In this episode, we bring it down to earth with a grounded, sensory practice: writing a Day in the Life of your Wildest YES Life through all five senses. Because when you can see it, hear it, and feel it, your brain starts wiring it as real.
This isn’t about fantasy—it’s an energetic rehearsal for the future you’re creating. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between imagination and memory, so each vivid detail becomes a cue that builds confidence and momentum.
Now it’s your turn: What does a day in your Wildest YES Life look like? Where do you wake up? What fills your day with purpose and joy? Write it like it’s already happening—and let it become your blueprint for the life you’re calling in.
Courage doesn’t wait for readiness. It meets you in the daily discomfort.
And that’s where your magic begins.
Subscribe for more episodes of The Confidence Shortcut, where we turn daily discomfort into big breakthroughs. Share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and drop a review with your 72-hour action: What brave step will you take today?
If this conversation sparked something, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, then subscribe and leave a quick review so more creatives find their courage faster. Ready for more? Grab the free Confidence Kickstart in the show notes and get first dibs on my book, "The Confidence Shortcut" when it launches in December 2025, sign up below to be the first in line.
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Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast for ambitious creatives and entrepreneurs who are ready to stop overthinking, take bold action, and finally step into the life they've been dreaming about. I'm your host, Nikki Stirner, mom, actor, comedian, and producer. After years of playing small and waiting to feel ready, I went on a courage quest and found a shortcut to confidence. Each week, I'll bring you real stories, simple steps, and conversations with experts in mindset, courage, and confidence, plus heart-to-hearts with fellow creatives who are turning their dreams into reality. It's time to get unstuck and start showing up. Let's dive in. Hello, welcome to the Confidence Shortcut Podcast. I'm your host, Nikki Stirner, and this is season two, episode six, a day in the life of your wildest, yes, life. Hello, brave one. Welcome back. If you've been following along in season two, you know we've been on a journey of rediscovering your dreams and aligning with your biggest, boldest self. So let's recap where we've been so far. Week one, you became a dream detective, exploring where you are now and what you truly desire in the four key areas of your life: health, relationships, career, and creative expression, and fun and adventure. And in week two, you created your three S lists. Now, what are those? Those are your star lists, someone to admire and reverse engineer their life. Who did you look up to when you were younger? Your scared list. What have you said no to in the past because of fear? And your success list. These are your receipts. This is where you've been successful in the past. We did that because we wanted to uncover patterns and clues from your past. In week three, you studied your success star models. These are the people already living versions of your dream life and reverse-engineered their paths to create your soul goals and action steps. We broke it down into things that you could do today if you wanted to. All right. In week four, we got grounded in your core values, your compass for clarity and alignment to know that when you get what you want, is it actually truly what you want? And does it align with who you are and what you stand for and what you believe in? In week five, you dreamed without limits. You defined your wildest yes life, the 100x version of your dream that calls you forward, the one that feels impossible, that's almost cringy to say out loud. That is the wildest yes life. And now, here we are today, week six, with a day in the life of your wildest yes life. Now, why does this step even matter? Here's the truth: you can't become what you can't see. All right. If your dream still feels vague and far away up in the clouds, it's because your brain hasn't yet built the neural pathway for it. So this exercise brings your future self into the now. Okay, because the moment you can see it, feel it, smell it, taste it, and hear it, your subconscious starts looking for ways to make it real. This is all about embodiment, not just thinking about your dream, but living inside of it every day. So today I'm gonna share my day in the life of my wildest yes life. Not because I want you to want my life, but because I want you to see how specific, sensory, and soul-aligned this can become when you really let yourself dream out loud. My new book, The Confidence Shortcut, is almost here. And I want you to be among the first to know when it goes on sale. This isn't just a book, it's also a journal and a calendar that walks you through the exact process I used to go from over-preparing and stuck in perfection to finding my voice and using it on stage in relationships and in business. When you sign up, you'll get early access updates, behind-the-scenes bonuses, and first divs when the book goes live in December. Don't wait. Sign up at the link in the show notes and be the first to know when the confident shortcut is available. All right, so this is mine. Here we go. In the morning, I'm talking about alignment and energy. So I wake up in our home by the ocean. The sound of the waves rolling in through the open windows. The light is golden and warm across the sheets. Before I even move, I take a slow deep breath in and whisper, thank you. I sip my microbiome pink drink, take my supplements, and light my peace and calming essential oil candle that I made. The scent fills the room. It's soft, grounding, peaceful, with hints of citrus. And immediately I feel connected to myself and to something bigger. I open my journal and write for 10 minutes, braindumping a to-do list, sketching out ideas for my next book, or lyrics for a new song. This is my sacred creation time. It's quiet, inspired, alive. Then I step out onto the sand. The ocean greets me like an old friend. I walk barefoot, feeling the cool earth beneath my feet. Turn tuning into the energy of Mother Earth and the universe. I ask, what is my highest path for the day? And I listen. Movement follows. I move my body. I'm weightlifting, stretching, walking on the beach. I feel strong, radiant, grounded, alive. When I shower, I listen to my I move before I feel ready, guided audio. It turns on my brain. It tells me, it informs my identity. I move before I feel ready. This is who I am. This is what I do. I turn the water to cold for 10 seconds. This is my daily discomfort. Reminding myself that courage is built in small, consistent acts. Because if I can do the things that I don't want to do, I can do anything. And I talk about my midday, talk about my purpose and expansion. Lunch is my favorite. This is when I refuel my body. A fresh salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled chicken. It's simple, it's nourishing. It's exactly what I need. Then it's showtime. Today I'm flying out for a multimedia tour to promote the confidence shortcut TV show. This series is transforming lives across the globe, helping people face fear, take action, and chase their wildest yes dreams. It's bringing hope back into households. First up, the Kelly Clarkson show in Los Angeles. Kelly and I laugh. We talk about courage. And then we perform together. We sing a song from my Broadway-bound musical adaptation of my One Woman show about courage. The audience stands, they clap. Someone's crying in the audience. It's one of those electric, full circle moments. Then my husband and I, he's involved in the business and my biggest supporter. So we fly to New York City for interviews on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and the Drew Barrymore show. My assistant keeps everything running smoothly. I couldn't live without her. She's amazing. And between appearances, I host coaching calls and business meetings, pitching new projects, scheduling tours, expanding partnerships. I'm living my mission. Ideas come to me constantly, and I'm constantly moving with them because I know how to take action now. My voice, my art, my message, they're all in harmony. Proof that courage, when practiced daily, creates miracles. When I speak about my evening, I talk about the magic and the gratitude. We check into a five-star hotel in Midtown Manhattan, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the glowing city, the lights. It's elegant, it's peaceful, it's alive. This week, I'm hosting Saturday Night Live. So tonight, I head to Studio 8H for sketch rehearsals, table wreaths, costume fittings. The air is buzzing with creativity and laughter. I make room for play in my life every day because it fills me up and magnetizes these opportunities. I'm surrounded by brilliant people doing what they love. I feel completely in my element, joyful, brave, and grateful. Later, back at the hotel, I kick off my sparkly, comfy shoes and order dinner. Something healthy, colorful, delicious. Soup. It's comforting. This vegetable chicken soup. It's delicious. I eat slowly, replaying the day in my mind. Every moment of laughter, connection, and courage. I draw a warm bath with lavender essential oils and magnesium salts. I slip in. I let my body exhale. I listen to my brave then-bed-guided audio, letting the affirmations and visualization carry me into gratitude. Outside, the city hums, alive and full of promise. And as I climb into bed, I think, wow, this is it. This is the life I dreamed about when I was scared to dream. Tomorrow brings the Today show, Good Morning America, Broadway rehearsals, Jimmy Fallon, and later this week, SNL. And I'm ready. That was my day in the life of my wildest yes life. And now it's your turn. What does a day in your wildest yes life look like through your five senses? Bring it to life. Where do you wake up? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? What fills your day with purpose and joy? What do you put here to do? What do you love doing? Write it like it's already happening. Because your subconscious doesn't know the difference between imagination and memory. The moment you imagine it, you start creating it in your universe. Let this be your blueprint, your energetic rehearsal for the life you're calling in. Because remember, courage doesn't wait for readiness, it meets you in the daily discomfort. And that's where your magic begins. My book, The Confidence Shortcut, is almost here. Wanna be first in line when it goes on sale in December? Sign up at the link in the show notes to get early access, bonuses, and launch day alerts. Don't wait. Be the first to know. Courage. On purpose every day. All right, this was us creating a day in the life of your wildest guest life. So take time to really experience it, feel it, dream bigger. This is that 100x part of you that's just waiting to come alive. And when you dream it and speak it and feel it into existence, it starts to come into your orbit. It starts to be attracted into your life. You start to see opportunities. You start to meet it halfway. It meets you in your vision. So this is where we're going today. All right, you guys. Until next time, I want you to have that miracle mindset to invite in the magic. Stay brave, stay grounded, and keep saying yes to your wildest yes life. Thanks so much for listening to The Confident Shortcut. I hope today's episode woke something up in you, reminding you that your dream matters and you can start now. If this sparked something, share it with a friend who needs it too. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram at Nikki Stirner and join our Facebook community at The Confidence Shortcut. Ready to take the next step? Check out my free guide, The Confidence Kickstart, linked in the show notes. Keep showing up. Keep taking action. And remember, the shortcut to confidence is courage.