Read This If You Have No Idea What You're Doing
Hint: the answer ISN'T: "no one knows what they're doing, so you're justified. Just keep going."
Well, for starters; congrats.
This is the part where I go on and on about how no one knows what they're doing.
Like this kid in the picture. Get real. He doesn't know how to read that book.
I'll then go on to conclude one of a few platitudes:
- No one knows what they're doing, so you're justified. Just keep going.
- No one knows what they're doing at first, so you're justified. Just monitor yourself until you get there.
- Some people know what they're doing but that's because they worked really hard and now they know things.
- We each have our unique "thing" that we know how to do and life is about finding that thing and sharing it with the world.
Oh, man. I feel like I could keep going, but I'll just stop at 4.
All I want to do is ask you to pay attention to how you're feeling about this.
Where does this feeling of "not knowing what you're doing" come from?
- Is it literally a lack of expertise?
- Is it because you've never done anything like this before?
- Is it imposter syndrome?
None of these questions are impossible to answer.
And none of the answers are impossible to reconcile.
These feelings are just indicators. They're kind of like the check engine light in your car.
They tell you something is wrong, but then you have to actually run a diagnostic check to figure out what's going on. You might be able to do this at home, but you may have to enlist help.
2 Minute Action:
The point I'm making is that I'm not going to tell you "keep trying!"
I'm telling you to identify the feeling and go after it.
Understanding the indicator will help you chase the solution.
If you're afraid, follow the fear.
If you're confident, follow the confidence.
Your 2-minute action might be literally taking 2 minutes to reflect.
It might also be taking 2 minutes to schedule a phone call with a mentor or close friend to talk through this feeling and help you identify it.
Whatever you're doing, it can take just 2 minutes to get the ball rolling.
Read This If You Want Your Job To Make You Happy
I have really bad news.
But first, I'm going to tell you a quick story.
When I was in college, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after graduation. I pulled a few graduate students together, into a panel, and asked them questions.
One grad student said something that really resonated with me.
She said:
"there's no job in the world that will make you happy, unless you're already happy."
- Helen G.
Whoa. That really stood out.
Let's be clear, if you're a coal miner and you get the black lung, I think we can agree that you have a crummy job and you'd be much happier somewhere else.
The point that this grad student was making was that I had only considered external factors in the creation of my happiness. I had never considered all of the internal factors, and those were even more powerful.
My point in telling you this story is to ask you a question about your work, your productivity, and your impact.
It's not the job that makes us happy, it's how we see ourselves in our jobs.
It's not the career that makes us happy, it's all of the experiences we have and relationships we build that make us feel happy.
2 Minute Action:
So, today, I'd like you to take 2 minutes out of your day and consider some of the things that truly make you happy. Look outside yourself, but also look inside yourself.
Go ahead, make a list. I love lists.
When you see the full scope of what makes you feel alive, you'll be able to diversify your sources of happiness.
I know it's scary, but it's important.
This Choice You Make Will Shape Your Success And Happiness
You know what helps when work gets hard?
The team of people around you.This is why we hire for aptitude, attitude, and cultural fit.It’s always a little easier to take failures on the chin when you have others sharing the burden or when they are there to get you back in the fighting ring.
The cool thing is that you get to choose those people.
You get to choose who works for you or who you work for.You get to choose with whom you share experiences.Slowly, over time, you will see the group of people around you change and grow, and it’s up to you to recognize if you’re flying among eagles.
2 Minute Action
Let a valuable friend know they are valuable, today.It’s so easy but it can be so impactful.