Why You Still Feel Behind (Even Though You’re Miles Ahead)

By Dino Tartaglia. 

You’ve just rewritten your client proposal. Again.

They already said yes. They’re excited to work with you.

But a voice in your head whispers, “What if this isn’t actually good enough?”

So, you tweak it. Then you polish it. Then you push back on sending it – because you want to make it just that bit tighter.

And before you know it, you’ve traded your evening (again) for something that was already finished. Which is a bit like repainting your living room walls every time someone compliments the colour.

Or maybe it looks like this:

A friend asks how business is going. You’ve had a great month.

Three new clients, all singing your praises, and your Stripe account agrees.

But you smile and say, “Oh, thanks… it’s going kind of OK. I’ve been a bit lucky this month.”

Like Luck personally turned up at your door and did all the work while you parked your butt on your comfy sofa, sipping wine and binge-watching Netflix.

If any of this feels familiar... good. You’re not broken. You’re just playing out a pattern that almost no one talks about honestly.

And while you’re stuck in it – tweaking, soft-pedalling, undercharging, over-preparing – there’s a very different type of entrepreneur out there: the loud one… the uber-confident one.

You know the type.

They’re shouting on LinkedIn.

Their carousel graphics are full of “rules you must follow”.

Their energy is somewhere between that of a personal trainer wired on double espressos and a cult leader who has weaponized Canva Pro.

And they’ve got half the experience and a quarter of the insight that you do.

Enter: Dunning–Kruger

This cognitive bias explains why people with low ability tend to seriously overestimate their competence...

...while truly capable people vastly underestimate theirs.

Let that land.

The people shouting the loudest often know the least.

And the people doubting themselves quietly?

That’s you. And you know far more than you give yourself credit for.

Basically, while you’re worrying whether you’ve earned your seat at the table, someone else is confidently pulling up a second-hand IKEA office chair they built, ignoring the instructions... with three bolts missing, wobbly as hell, and the arms visibly on backwards… and they care not a jot.

The Real Problem?

It's Not Arrogance. It's Doubt Dressed Up as Logic.

The trouble is, when this pattern plays out in people like you – smart, empathetic, driven humans who’ve built a business from nothing – it doesn’t feel like a problem.

It feels like responsibility.

It feels like “I just need to be more prepared.”

It manifests as late nights, unpaid hours, and relentless “just in case” thinking.

But what it really is… is Doubt.

The quiet, persistent kind.

The kind that wears a sensible jumper, uses a planner, and tells you, “Let’s just be sure before we take that next step.”

It’s not fear screaming in your face.

It’s doubt whispering from behind your to-do list.

And it's really, really good at sounding reasonable.

And There’s a Name for That… Imposter Syndrome.

You’ve heard of it. But maybe not in the way it’s actually showing up in your life.

It’s not always “I feel like a fraud.”  Often, it’s 

“I’ll put myself out there once I’ve done another course.”

“I’ll raise my prices once I’ve had a few more client wins.”

“I can’t launch that offer yet – it’s not perfect.”

It’s like waiting to be handed a gold star before you're allowed to act – even though you’ve already done all the bloody work.

This isn’t a competence issue. It’s a perception glitch.

Here’s What It’s Costing You:
- Hours you’ll never get back.
- Revenue you’re too “reasonable” to claim.
- Opportunities passed over because “someone else is more qualified.”
- The business you’ve been quietly building that should’ve gone big… two years ago.

And the kicker?

You’re the only one in the room who thinks you’re not ready.

Everyone else is looking at you like, “She’s brilliant – I wish I had it that together.”

If only they knew.

What to Do Instead

First: name it. Spot the pattern. Then get out of your own way.

Confidence doesn’t come before action.

Confidence comes from evidence. It shows up afterwards – dragging its feet like a recalcitrant teenager - but it gets there eventually.

Want to break the loop?

Stop asking “Do I deserve this?” Start asking, “What would I do if I already believed I did?”

Then do that.

The Takeaway

You’re not behind. You’re not underqualified. You’re not waiting to be ready.

You’re just stuck in a loop that’s built for someone else’s limitations – not yours.

Once you see it for what it is, you can stop editing your Brilliance down to fit someone else's comfort zone.

And that, my friend, is the moment the whole game changes.

Next Steps

If this hit something in you – awesome. That’s the work.

And it’s exactly the kind of thing we untangle in Success.Unlocked – our low-ticket, high-value private coaching community where smart, brilliant humans finally stop letting hidden self-doubt drive the bus.

Or, if you want to go deep and fix this way faster, you’re welcome to apply for my 90-Day Cohort or a VIP Weekend in Porto with me.

We'll dismantle the patterns, rebuild the plan, and set you on a simpler, stronger path.

Either way - let’s get you out of your own way.

DM me, tag me in TFCEO Group, or book a call.

Let’s make this the moment you stopped playing smaller than your talent.

To your inevitable success.

Dino

Dino Tartaglia is a former Electronics Engineer, now a businessman, mentor, coach and troubleshooter working to help you, if you’re a coach, consultant, creative or service provider, to Build a Joyful, Dependable Business around Being Brilliant at What You Do. 

In his own coaching, and together with world-class coach Simon Hartley, the other half of Success Engineers (their joint business), he helps you to improve your thinking to ask better questions, so that you solve the right problems in your business at the right time, develop your own personal performance as a business owner and get closer to What Matters Most. 

You can find Dino in our FB Group , on his  website or on any of these other locations; Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram |PodCast - Back Bedroom to Big Business