You Will Figure It Out, Even If You Don't Know How Yet

Have you ever delayed doing something because you didn't know exactly how to do it?

I have been thinking about how often we expect ourselves to have everything figured out before we even get started. We want to understand the process, know what to expect, and feel confident that we can handle the responsibility.

On October 28, I gave a speech about a mindset I have been developing since taking on a leadership role at Toastmasters: "I will figure it out."

I joined Toastmasters in October 2025 to improve my public speaking and communication skills. But there is a funny story behind why I joined Texas Tech Talk Toastmasters Club.

Before becoming a member, I had visited the club a few times as a guest to understand how Toastmasters meetings worked. At that time, I was also very interested in exploring more conferences because my first tech conference, Commit Your Code, had been such a productive experience. I wanted to attend more events, meet people, and learn from different speakers. When I found out that Texas Tech Talk members could attend the Toastmasters Fall Conference for free because of the club's sponsorship, I saw it as a great opportunity.

So I came up with a plan. I would join, attend the conference for free, and move to an in-person or hybrid club once my six-month membership period ended. That was the type of club I originally wanted.

A few weeks after joining, our club was preparing to select officers before the end of the year, and our president approached me about serving as Vice President of Membership.

I wasn't sure I could handle the responsibilities. I was new to Toastmasters and still learning how everything worked, so I suggested trying in the next round instead. I thought by then I would have a better understanding of the organization and what was expected of an officer.

But after conversations and encouragement from the president, other officers, and club members, I decided to give it a try.

I was nominated and selected to serve as Vice President of Membership. My responsibilities included welcoming prospective members, following up with guests, answering membership questions, and helping people understand what our club had to offer.

There was a lot I didn't know about the role. I reached out to other officers for guidance, asked experienced members questions, and scheduled coaching sessions. I learned by doing the work and figuring out how to handle new responsibilities.

Over time, I became more comfortable taking on things I had never done before. I didn't need to know every answer before getting started because I could ask questions, learn, and improve.

And the club I originally planned to leave after six months became a place where I was developing my leadership skills. I was even reelected to serve a second term as Vice President of Membership.

I am glad I gave myself the chance to try instead of waiting until I felt completely ready.

I see a similar lesson in public speaking. I enjoy storytelling, but preparing a speech can be challenging because I tend to overthink how to organize my ideas, which experiences to include, and whether my message will make sense to the audience.

Through Toastmasters, I have learned to prepare, deliver my speech, receive feedback, and improve for the next one. I don't need to have a perfect speech before I get on stage. There will always be something I can work on.

I can relate this to my career in software engineering too. When working on a project, the requirements may not be clear, the solution may be unfamiliar, or the code may not work as expected. I have to investigate, ask questions, test different approaches, and learn from the results.

Even in my personal life, I can see how much I have figured out through experience. Seven years ago, I moved to the United States with goals and expectations, but I couldn't have predicted everything that would happen during those years.

All these experiences have made me think differently about how I approach opportunities and challenges.

But I want to make it clear that I still don't fully have the "I will figure it out" mindset.

I still get stuck in the how. I can spend so much time thinking about how I am going to accomplish something, where to begin, and what could go wrong that I end up feeling frozen, like a deer in the headlights.

I can recognize a good opportunity and understand why it would benefit me, yet struggle to take the first step because I haven't figured out how everything will work.

For my last speech in the Presentation Mastery Pathway, Level 5 project, Reflect on Your Path, on October 28, I chose to talk about this mindset. Preparing that speech and writing this blog post have both given me a chance to reflect on what I have learned through Toastmasters and remind myself to apply those lessons in my own life.

I believe preparation is important, and I am not suggesting that we should accept every opportunity without thinking about the responsibilities involved. But there is a difference between preparing yourself and spending so much time trying to figure out the how that you never get started.

If I had waited until I understood everything about being Vice President of Membership, I would have missed an opportunity that has taught me a lot about leadership, communication, and myself.

I know I will continue to face situations where I question whether I am ready. When that happens, I want to remind myself of the experiences I have already had and how much I learned after deciding to give things a try.

You will figure it out, even if you don't know how yet.

And if I forget, I can always come back and read my own blog post.

I'm curious, have you ever been so focused on figuring out how to do something that you struggled to get started? How did you move past it?