Put Your Doubt On Trial (The Friday Ficks S6 E23)

“Thank you, Your Honor. May it please the Court, lady and gentlemen of the jury...”

Fresh out of law school, with only a brief stint in private practice under my belt, I stood before a jury defending a municipality in a civil rights case.

It was my first trial, first jury trial and first federal court trial all rolled into one. And those were the opening words of my very first closing argument.

In the days leading up to trial, the “Doubt Devil” worked overtime.

You know the one. That relentlessly pernicious voice that whispers: “You’re not ready. You don’t belong here. What if you fail?”

So I did the only thing that works when doubt gets loud - I prepared. Obsessively. I studied the facts, refined the arguments, prepped the exhibits, visualized the moment, and rehearsed until it felt second nature.

Then I did it again. And again.

When I walked into the United States District Court in Hartford, I didn’t feel fearless but rather, ready. I believed I had earned the right to be there.

That belief mattered. The Doubt Devil never found its footing, and the jury returned a verdict for my client.

Afterward, I ordered the trial transcript. More than 30 years later, I still pull it out when doubt comes knocking. And knock it does.

Because that transcript is more than a record of what happened. It’s proof. Proof that preparation never goes out of style, and neither does self-belief.

You have a transcript. Moments where you showed up, pushed through and delivered when it mattered.

When the Doubt Devil accuses you, don’t argue with it. Put it on trial and present the evidence - your transcript.

That’s how you silence doubt.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl