There have been magical moments in my life when the penny dropped, the insight landed, the way forward became clear. I knew what needed to change!
I’ll never forget those moments, often sparked by an unexpected conversation with someone who unlocked the way forward.
Each one fundamentally changed the course of my life. They led to years out, travel, career paths, resignations, redirections and reinventions.
Which makes it sound like the changes were easy. If only!
When we’re feeling unprepared, unsure, or worried about something it can be tempting to push down the feelings and tell ourselves it will be fine.
If we share our feelings with other people a common response can be for them to tell us the same thing: Don’t worry! You’ll be great! Just be yourself! Go for it! They encourage us to relax, to have more confidence, not to underestimate ourselves.
And sometimes it is about mindset. If we have plenty of experience, evidence, examples that we are prepared and can do it, it’s absolutely time to take care of our safety instinct and that pesky voice of ‘not good enough’.
But sometimes the feelings fit the circumstances, especially if we’re doing something for the first time or stepping into a larger space - taking on new responsibilities, interviewing for a role that would be a stretch, thinking about making a leap.
Standing up and speaking in front of an audience - whether sharing a story, giving a speech, or presenting your work - can be a wonderful experience.
It’s an opportunity to have an impact on people who matter to you, personally or professionally.
And it can also be completely nerve wracking.
Our minds can go wild - the doubt can creep in and the ‘what ifs’ start - and our body can get in the mix too.
My tells? My heart begins to pound and my legs start to shake - a winning combination!
And I know I’m not alone.
Do you struggle with self promotion?
Does it feel icky to share what you’re up to?
That you shouldn’t have to be political to get ahead?
That it should be enough to do good work and be rewarded for it?
It’s not just you.
I coach a lot around visibility, and voice, and how to show up and share what you’re up to without feeling icky - both within an organisation, or online.
When people bring this topic it can feel as though there are only two choices…
