I had an interesting conversation with a friend last night. He wanted to change jobs, change careers infact, but felt he was under qualified for some of the positions that were available. It brought to mind for me the misleading notion of ‘readiness’ – when are we ever really ready?
If we wait for that perfect moment, that elusive some-day concept when all our ducks are lined up in a row, the opportunity may be missed. Worse still, that day probably won’t ever arrive. Perfection is unobtainable, so waiting for that perfect time is going to be a loooong (and very frustrating!) wait.
This doesn’t mean we don’t need to do the preparation, or put in the hard work to get to our goal. Those things are vital. But we do need to step back and ask ourselves – when is it enough? How do we know when the phase of preparation ends, and the one of action begins?
What would happen if you acted AS IF you were ready?
What would be possible then?
Gone are the days of the old saying ‘fake it till you make it’ – you dont need to act fradulently, its not about faking out others, its about faking out the voice in your own head. Act as if you know how to be a CEO, act as if you’ve already received the promotion when you pitch your boss for it; it will help you transcend the fear and self doubt inherent in taking a career leap. – Christine Comaford-Lynch
We put our thoughts and energy into acting as if we are totally ready for this opportunity/job/relationship/promotion/experience and our sub-conscious mind gets to work on making it happen for us, rather than worrying about all the reasons why we’re ‘not ready’. Classic law of attraction right there.
I think it’s totally normal to never quite feel ready enough. There’s always something more we wish we had done, learned, practiced, perfected, researched, rehearsed . . . the list is endless. I remember my first few coaching clients – I felt like I was totally underprepared, I felt I had no idea what I was doing, I felt like I wasn’t ready yet. But you jump in, you listen to your heart, you have faith in your ability and you GO FOR IT!
And you know what, it is never as bad as you think it will be. Infact, I’ve found quite often my expectations have been blown out of the water. Prepare for the universe to surprise you.
So where in your life is fear and self doubt creeping in?
What are the things you feel ‘not ready’ for?
I encourage you to ACT AS IF.
Fake out that negative voice in your own head.
Never underestimate the power of the mind. Harness it to work for you, not against you.
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