# 73. Certainty Never Comes First | The Cone of Clarity

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574/73-certainty-never-comes-first-the-cone-of-clarity.md
Podcast: [Get Messy with Maddie](https://stenobird.com/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574)
Published: 2026-07-20T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getmessywithmaddie/episodes/73--Certainty-Never-Comes-First--The-Cone-of-Clarity-e3m27ul
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f2e24c24/podcast/play/122805653/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-14%2F427918066-44100-2-925eb7a929398.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574/episodes/73-certainty-never-comes-first-the-cone-of-clarity
Duration seconds: 305

## Resource

Sometimes the destination isn't visible — and that's actually okay. In this mini episode, I'm talking about something called the "cone of clarity": the idea that when you're driving through fog, you can't see the whole road, but you can always see just enough right in front of you to keep moving forward. I get into why waiting for the full roadmap to be illuminated before you start taking action is a trap — because wherever you're headed, you've never been there before, so it's never going to be fully lit up ahead of time. Clarity doesn't come before movement. It comes from it. Every step you take is what reveals the next one. This one's short, but it's a reminder I come back to often, especially on the days when I want certainty before I'm willing to move. In This Episode: The "cone of clarity" concept — and how it applies to building a creative career Why certainty never comes first, no matter how badly we want it to The difference between waiting for the full path to be illuminated vs. trusting the next small step Why action is what actually provides the information to keep moving forward A reminder for anyone who's been standing still, waiting to feel "ready" RESOURCES: My mindset coach, Amy Austin ✨ Connect with Maddie ✨ *Explore Maddie's Website | @messywithmaddie *

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## Transcript

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