As part of the research Liam and I did recently, we asked people what most helped them develop. High on the list was being stretched to do more challenging work.
Self-help books (I've read them all. I am Bridget Jones incarnate.) tell you to 'do one thing a day that scares you'. But I seem to have had quite a few conversations with people recently who just aren't convinced they've got the confidence to take the risk.
Years ago, I read somewhere that the word confidence starts with a 'con'. As long as you act as if you're confident, nobody knows you're a quivering jelly underneath.
Now I'm probably one of the least confident people you know. They used to have competitions at school to see who could make me blush the most. But ever since I read that book, I found that having an air of self assurance will get me through just about any work-related situation. And nobody seems to notice if I'm feeling totally jittery inside.
A few years ago I presented at my first major conference. I was absolutely petrified. I'd rehearsed it so many times in my mind I was literally reciting it in my head as I walked from the tube to the hotel. I got the highest feedback scores of anyone at the conference (including Bill Quirke!) and I met a delegate on the tube afterwards who said 'I wish I could be that confident about speaking in public. But I guess you must do this kind of thing all the time.' SO not true. I'd been so nervous I daren't have a coffee in case anyone saw my hands shaking.
In my experience, if you only do the things you're scared of once, you'll still be scared of them afterwards. I find I have to do them over and over again within a fairly short time, until it starts to dawn on me that it doesn't feel so bad any more and I actually seem to be doing it quite well.
I think taking risks is one of the best ways to learn. I've got two things in my work diary in the next couple of months that I'm having palpitations about. I still hate the 'this is like going to the dentist' feeling that I have in the run up. But in the back of my mind, I know it will all be OK, and afterwards that will be another thing I didn't think I could do ... but now I know I can.
So .. what's coming up in YOUR schedule?
Sue




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