Are You Confident?
Confidence was a trait that eluded me for a long time. I now look at things much differently. I know what I am capable of doing and that the only obstacle is me. That was not the case in my youth. I was sure I was not smart enough or good enough to succeed. In contact sports I played not to get hurt vice being aggressive. In school I never I thought I could be in the “smart people” group.
When I was in flight school in the Navy I didn’t think I would make it through. Each stage I would do well, but I still had doubts. Then, I looked at the guys ahead of me and saw they were not different and they were getting through. This helped, and I gained more confidence as the time went on.
When I left the Navy and got into the business world I had the same challenges. I was passive because I didn’t think I had the talent to excel. But I also realized I wasn’t doing everything I could to get more skills. I was not studying to get ahead or putting myself out there to gain more experience. I was holding myself back. I thought if I made I mistake I would be laughed at. It did not dawn on me that just about any mistake I made when selling to someone would be quickly forgot by them. They would not waste their time thinking about what I did.
Today, I know I can accomplish anything if I put the work in. Nothing is going to just drop in my lap. If I need to learn a new a skill, I can do it. I also have to get out there and practice. If I make a mistake, learn from it and move on. No need to dwell on it or especially agonize about it. Most importantly, there are no internal obstacles in my way. Better late than never in gaining confidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment