You may recall from my update email, I had hoped to get my first newsletter out in early May. Well, clearly, that deadline did not get met. First, there was a busy factor (starting a business while working, going to school, raising kids is tricky). Then, my family and I went on vacation. Then, it was catch-up time upon returning from vacation. So, you get the picture. All along the way, I was working on the newsletter in bits and pieces. Finally, I finished it last week – or so I thought…
You see, I was having trouble hitting send.
I worked on the newsletter. I reviewed the info. And, technically, it was all set to go. I was dragging my feet transferring email addresses and I told myself, that was the hold-up. But really, I realized that I was afraid. Suddenly, it got me thinking how often we don’t “hit send” in our life.
Lack of confidence can really get in the way of things. We hesitate because we are afraid of putting ourselves out there and the risk (real and perceived) that goes with it. All of us have something that we want to hit send on but don’t because we get busy, get distracted, convince ourselves it’s not important, etc. But you can change that!
Hitting send is an empowering experience. Hitting send is aligning your external actions with your internal self. Once you hit send, you have accomplished something – it may or may not turn out as you plan but you gave it a shot and THAT is the important part.
Try this –
1. Pick something you want to hit send on (note: pick something you can do but have been avoiding – no “climb Mount Everest!”)
2. Write down the 5-7 things you need to do to accomplish this
3. Do it in 10 days or less
What I find when I work with people is that taking action gives you the biggest bang for your buck. It builds confidence exponentially compared to any other activity. It is outward proof that crushes those inner voices that can get too loud in our heads. Hitting send gives you momentum. And, it gives you the confidence to hit send again. So when you are faced with something that scares you, creates self-doubt, remember that ACTION can take you a long way.
And, with that, I’m hitting send.
