Confidence is a tricky concept. We're told to "fake it 'til you make it," to project an aura of unwavering self-belief, to stand tall and speak with authority even when our insides are churning with doubt. This model of confidence is often rooted in ego and performance. It’s about convincing others—and ourselves—that we have all the answers. But what if true, sustainable confidence isn't about having the answers at all? What if it's about having a process?
In Andy Weir’s masterful survival story, The Martian, astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. He's millions of miles from home, presumed dead, with limited supplies and a habitat designed to last for 31 days. His mission is supposed to last 1400. He is, by any objective measure, completely and utterly doomed. In the face of this overwhelming reality, he doesn't puff out his chest or give himself a hollow pep talk. Instead, he assesses his situation with brutal honesty and utters the line that becomes his mantra and the philosophical core of the entire book: "I'm going to have to science the sh*t out of this".
This is a new kind of confidence manifesto. It’s not about pretending to be invincible. It’s about believing in your ability to figure things out. It decouples confidence from outcome and attaches it to process. Watney's confidence doesn't come from knowing that he will survive; it comes from knowing that he has the skills, the training, and the mindset to tackle the first problem, and then the next, and then the next after that.
"To science the sh*t out of something" means you observe the reality of your situation without judgment. You break down an impossibly large problem into its smallest constituent parts. You identify what you know and what you don't. You form a hypothesis. You run an experiment. You gather data. If you fail—when you fail—you don't see it as a reflection of your worth. You see it as more data. The explosion that destroys his early attempt at making water isn't a catastrophe that proves his incompetence; it's a data point that informs his next attempt.
This is a revolutionary way to think about confidence in our own lives and careers. How often are we paralyzed by a challenge because we focus on the terrifying, monolithic end goal? We want to start a business, change careers, or lead a major project, but the sheer scale of the endeavor makes us feel inadequate. We think we need to have the whole path mapped out before we can take the first step. Watney teaches us to forget the path. Just focus on the next right problem. His confidence is not "I am Mark Watney, the invincible astronaut". It's "I am Mark Watney, a botanist and a mechanical engineer. I know how to grow things and I know how to fix things. I will start there". He grounds his confidence in his core competencies, not in wishful thinking. He doesn't need to be the smartest person in the world; he just needs to be the best botanist in the Hab.
This is a powerful lesson for anyone struggling with imposter syndrome. You don't have to be the expert on everything. What is the one thing you can "science"? What is your unique skill set that you can apply to the problem in front of you? True confidence is born from the quiet, methodical application of your craft. It’s built in the trenches of the work, not in the spotlight of the result.
Mindful Steps to Build Process-Based Confidence
Building the kind of confidence Watney demonstrates requires a mental shift from proving your worth to trusting your process. Here are three practical tips to start "sciencing" the challenges in your own life.
1. Identify "Your Science"
Mark Watney's confidence was rooted in two things: botany and mechanical engineering. He focused on what he knew. What is "your science"? These are the skills you have honed through practice and experience. Take a moment to list your hard skills (e.g., data analysis, public speaking) and your soft skills (e.g., empathy, resilience). By consciously identifying "your science," you shift your focus from what you lack to what you possess. You remind yourself that you are not starting from scratch; you are arriving at this challenge fully equipped.
2. Isolate the "Next Single Problem"
Watney’s genius was in his relentless focus on the next single problem. He didn't try to solve a cascade of lethal problems all at once, which would have led to despair. Think about the overwhelming challenge in your own life and ask yourself: "What is the one thing I can do right now that will move me forward?" Your job is not to solve the entire problem. Your job is to solve the part of the problem that is immediately in front of you. Confidence isn't built by staring up at the mountain; it's built by taking the next step.
3. Reframe Failure as Data Collection
Adopt the mindset of a scientist. For a scientist, a failed experiment is not a personal failure; it's a source of valuable data. It tells you what doesn't work, which is just as important as knowing what does. The next time you experience a setback, resist the urge to label it as "failure". Instead, grab your journal and open a new page titled "Data Report". Confidence doesn't come from a perfect record of success. It comes from the deep, unshakable belief that even when you fail, you learn. And as long as you are learning, you are moving forward.
The first step to overcoming fear is trusting your process. But what about the inner voice that guides that process? Our next article dives into the radical necessity of authenticity, using Watney’s unfiltered logs to explore what it means to stop performing and just be real.
