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Creating Space… For the Commitments That Build Confidence
- Tian Philson
- Mar 17
- 3 min read
Leading With VOICCE® Series.
Imagine making a big decision… and then spending the next 30 days second-guessing whether it was the right one.
Replaying it. Re-evaluating it. Quietly wondering if you missed something.
I've been there.
For a long time, I thought confidence came from making the right decision. But I’ve learned something different:
Choice is nothing without commitment.
Confidence is built in the commitments we keep - especially the ones we keep to ourselves.
When I was still at 84.51°, I decided to start my Creating Space Blog.
At the time, I did not know that such a huge career pivot was on the horizon. I just knew that I wanted to help others create space for what mattered most in their own lives.
There were a lot of unknowns:
What should I write about each week?
How deep should I go?
Will any of it resonate with anyone?
Still - I kept going.
Around that time, I was listening to How I Built This on NPR, and one idea stuck with me:
Always keep the promises you make to yourself - even when you’re unsure.
I don’t even remember who said it. But I decided to live it.
Before that, I had a pattern. I would overthink decisions. I would quietly overwhelm myself with too much information. I would talk myself in circles.
Eventually, I'd make a choice, but even then I found myself glancing back, over my shoulder, trying to figure out whether I should have taken a different route.
I experienced this pattern in both my personal and professional life. I didn't know it at the time, but this lack of commitment was laying a foundation of self-doubt and low confidence.
Every time I second-guessed my instincts, my well-researched choices, or pulled back my decision, I was teaching myself not to trust my own wisdom.
For Creating Space, I committed to making sure the blog was posted by 9 am every Friday morning. No exceptions.
Here's what shifted when I started honoring my own commitments.
I found insight with each step I took. I didn't always know the full path, but I found solutions step by step.
I learned how resourceful I was. Even when I had a long day, a busy week, or hit a wall with my writing, I dug deeper and found the resolve to have my post ready by 9am each Friday.
I developed razor-sharp focus. My priorities became clearer. My time became more intentional. I hit my posting deadline.
That discipline started to show up in other parts of my life. I realized something important. Making the choice wasn't the win - following through on the commitment was.
My confidence didn't build by coming up with a good idea. It didn't grow simply because I made the choice to post weekly.
My confidence grew each week because I showed up. I refused to let obstacles, excuses, or uncertainty get in my way.
I built evidence. That evidence turned into self-trust.
Choice is nothing without commitment.
Your first decision does not have to be perfect. There's seldom even a guarantee that the choice is "right". There are too many unknowns and infinite variables. Making a well-informed choice and then committing to seeing it through is what allows clarity to unfold over time.
What's that thing you've been considering, but haven't fully committed to? What might shift if you trusted yourself enough to follow it through?
Interested in diving deeper? I’ll be holding space for this kind of reflection in the upcoming Creating Space Live gathering. Tuesday, March 31 - Release. Recenter. Recommit
Thank you for your presence. I am so excited to continue this journey of Leading with VOICCE® with you!
With gratitude, Tian.
Tian Philson Leadership, Wellness & Mindset Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.
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