How do you deal with fear in your business? How do you push yourself when doubts creep in about you as an artist, an entrepreneur? This was such a useful post and a tool that I've used myself through the years, that I had to share it! The author succinctly grasped an idea that I have occasionally used, but never consciously. Now, I will consciously deal with my fear in small opportunities, moments that build up my confidence. Read on.....
http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/how-to-pick-up-a-stranger-or-produce-brilliant-work/
Today’s guest contributor is writer, coach, violinist, filmmaker, law
school graduate, and web designer, Emilie Wapnick, who works with
multipotentialites to help them build lives and businesses around ALL
their interests. She’s the author of Renaissance Business and the troublemaker behind Puttylike.com.
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“How do you like your Macbook case?” I asked the attractive stranger at the neighboring table.
“What’s that?” he replied.
“Oh, I like it. It actually saved me the other night, when my roommate spilled his drink all over the place.”
We kept chatting. His name was Stephen and he played the cello.
Contrary to what you might be thinking, I was not trying to pick him up. I wasn’t even all that interested in his computer case.
Starting conversations with strangers is a practice that I’ve adopted to help me overcome fear and doubt in my work.
Yes, you heard me right. This was about productivity.
I learned this trick a while back, when I was in an entrepreneurial
competition and had to give a terrifying presentation to some big name
CEOs. Like many people, I’d always despised public speaking. But this
talk was important.
I decided to prepare by shoring up my confidence beforehand. My logic
was that if I was going to be expected to step onto The Stage — a place
of supreme uncertainty — then I would practice feeling nervous first,
by embracing uncertainty in small ways throughout the day. I dubbed
these “mini-risks.”
When it was finally time to deliver my speech that afternoon, I felt
far more confident than I would have, had I passively gone about my day,
waiting for the big moment to descend on me. It felt as though I had
created my day. I’d taken charge, just like I was about to do in that
speech…!
I repeated this experiment several times, and continually found that
on the days when I took a number of mini-risks, I was far more
productive. I was able to focus on my work, and not get as distracted by
fear or self-doubt.
Here’s what’s involved, and how the practice works:
Mini-risks can involve making eye contact and smiling at people on
the street, asking your waiter a question about their life, or even
standing in the center of a room at a party, where people might actually
look at you(!) The degree of risk involved varies from person to
person. What makes a really shy person nervous may seem like no big deal
for someone who’s more extroverted. That person will have to take
“bigger” mini-risks.
The key is to take actions that make you a little queasy, but are
still doable, and aren’t truly harmful in any physical, or long term
sense. Gauge where your current comfort levels are, and push yourself
just a bit further than what feels safe. Start small, even if it means
simply making eye contact with a stranger on the street.
An easy way to begin implementing this practice is to go about your
day, and whenever you notice an opportunity where you could be
assertive, take the lead, speak, or move, do it. From spreading out on a
couch, to complimenting a friend’s shirt, to illustrating a point by
diving into a personal story and opening up emotionally, there are a
million tiny moments throughout the day when you have the choice between
taking action or remaining passive. Start noticing these moments and
begin choosing action.
See each mini-risk that you take as a win, regardless of how other
people react. This is important. The practice must be action-based, not
results-based. You take the risk, you win. Period.
Most importantly, stack those wins. Congratulate yourself each time
you take a small assertive action. See each risk as an accomplishment in
and of itself, and then stack each win on top of the next, building up
your confidence.
Taking mini-risks reminds you that you indeed have control over your
performance and the amount of output you generate in the world. It
reestablishes a sense of trust in your own ability. You demonstrate to
yourself that you can handle whatever is thrown your way– that while you
may not have all the answers now (you may even be a complete beginner),
you’ll find a way to make it work.
Angela
Angela's Artistic Designs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/angel9
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