Confidence: Don't Do ANYTHING Without it. Maybe.
Why you absolutely MUST wait until you are 100% brimming with confidence before you do ANYTHING. Not really.
Notes on confidence: Confidence is not a thing you wait for. Confidence is not a feeling. Confidence is simple. It’s doing things. Doing things. No matter how you feel. It’s taking action even when you don’t want to. It’s simply doing things. Sending that email. Speaking in that meeting. Asking for that raise. Moderating that panel. Getting on that stage. Saying no. Being kind. It has nothing to do with how you feel. Confidence is a muscle you build. Then when you have done the thing or taken the action, regardless of the result. You breathe into it. And say “I did that. I did the thing and took the action”. In my corporate trainings this has often been people’s key learning. To do things. Doing things is confidence.
Below is the Japan Market Entry Competition (JMEC) Team whom I was mentor to, and who won the prize for best presentation at the awards. I was absolutely NOT READY for this. I felt ill-equipped, inexperienced and resistant. I said yes. Something inside me was just like – it’s a yes. Even with all my boundaries, even with all my “If it’s not a ‘hell yes’ it’s a ‘hell no’. And it was a rich and wonderful experience. The team was great and I learned so much from them and about them and about myself. The consultant, on the left also showed me how to assess detail in the plan and the financials. They leaned into their strength and won the presentation awards. Look how proud and happy we all are. This is because each of these people said yes. They did things. They took action and they did their best. Even when it was hard. Even when they had no idea what they were doing. Even when they were getting feedback. Even when their most experienced business-wise member dropped out in month one. They just kept showing up, doing things, doing the work, using their strengths and getting on with things. Confidence. Doing things. Doing the work. Taking action. Any tiny tiny imperfect action.
