Why You Still Feel Stuck After Taking Action (And How to Break Through Fear and Self-Doubt)

Have you ever taken action… and still felt scared, anxious, or stuck afterward?

In this episode of Brave Moves, Julie DeLucca-Collins breaks down why taking action doesn’t always lead to immediate confidence—and what’s actually happening in your brain when fear shows up after you step outside your comfort zone.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing the work but still struggling with self-doubt, this episode will help you understand the science of growth, discomfort, and how to keep moving forward.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

•  Why fear can increase after taking action 
•  How your brain responds to growth and change 
•  Why discomfort is a sign of progress 
•  How to stop retreating after stepping outside your comfort zone 
•  Practical ways to build confidence through consistency 

Key Takeaway

Taking action is step one.

Staying in the discomfort is where transformation happens.

This Episode Is For You If:

•  You’re taking action but still feel stuck 
•  You struggle with self-doubt after putting yourself out there 
•  You want to build confidence in your business or life 
•  You’re tired of starting and stopping 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Okay, so you did the thing. You sent the email, you posted the content, you spoke up in the meeting, and you said yes to that opportunity. And instead of feeling confident, you feel anxious, exposed, you feel like you want to hide. And you're like, Julie, what the hell? And now you're thinking, of course. Wait, I thought taking action was supposed to make me feel better. But here's the truth, my friend. No one tells you. Taking action doesn't immediately eliminate the fear. Sometimes it's going to amplify it. And that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. It just means you're growing. Hey, welcome back to Brave Moves. I'm Julie DeLuca Collins, and you are listening to the Daily-Iish Brave Moves podcast. And I'm here to tell you that what is actually happening, if you still feel afraid, your brain is working outside its comfort zone. This is new, this is risky. We might get judged, rejected, or embarrassed, or all the different thoughts that are probably swirling around in that little noggin of you. So your nervous system is going to kick in to protect you, not because you're weak, but because your brain is wired for safety and not expansion. So you post something vulnerable online and then you check it 100 million times and you reread it and you wonder, was that too much? Did I overshare? Do people think I'm ridiculous? That's the spiral and that's normal. I've been there. I have done it. Now, here's the reframe: growth doesn't feel like confidence. Growth feels like discomfort. It feels uncertainty. Growth feels like, what did I just do? Think about it. Now, most people quit right then and there, right? When they're starting to feel like, oh, what is going on? And here's why we get stuck. Because you take action and then your brain interprets discomfort as this is not for me. I'm not cut out for this. I shouldn't have done that. And then you retreat, you go quiet, and you start to go back to playing small. And the brain says, Oh, I'm safe again. But here's the problem: safe doesn't get you where you want to go. The real work is not just taking action, it's staying in the discomfort long enough for your brain to recalibrate. Because the more you stay, the more your brain learns, oh, we're not dying. Oh, we're okay. Wait, can we do this again? Of course we can. Now here's your brave move: don't just take action. Stay with the feeling after the action. And that's when the discomfort show is up. Don't run, don't be numb, don't overthink yourself into hiding. Instead, say something like, This feels uncomfortable and that's okay. This means I'm stretching. This is part of becoming who I said I want to be. You know, there's some practical steps that you can take. Number one is if you want something, right? Or you're doing something and you're uncomfortable, I want you to name the feeling. Do you feel exposed? Maybe you're gonna say, oh, I feel scared, or I feel judge. Naming it reduces its power. Then you're going to normalize it. And this is what growth feels like. Not failure, not danger, just growth. Remember, this is what growth feels like, normalizes whatever that uncomfortable or scary or judgy feeling you've had. And then stay in motion. Take another small step. Don't stop in one action. Momentum beats fear. And you don't become confident because things feel easy. You become confident because you keep going when they don't. You know, my friend, if you're feeling uncomfortable after taking action, you're not broken and you're not doing it wrong. You are on the right track. Don't confuse discomfort with misalignment. Sometimes it is the clearest sign that you're exactly where you need to be. Now, of course, I'm gonna say this is why we are works in progress. We don't arrive somewhere. This is all about the journey to becoming. And even as you become that vision that you have of yourself, there's gonna be another vision after that. But don't look that far ahead. Look into just what your next best step is. Okay, so I am incredibly happy that you are here and that you are continuing to come in this journey with me. Now, of course, if you are feeling scared, you don't have to do this alone. I want to encourage you to join us in the Confident You community. The Confident You community is free, it is a place where incredible individuals like you and other incredible women come together and cheer each other on, support one another. And we find that in community, we find strength, we find the support, and we can become the visionaries and the impactful human beings that we are meant to be. So remember, you don't need to feel ready and you don't need to feel comfortable. You just need to keep going. Until tomorrow, don't forget, I love you so much.