Read This If You Have No Idea What You're Doing

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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:

1. No one knows what they're doing, so you're justified. Just keep going.
2. No one knows what they're doing at first, so you're justified. Just monitor yourself until you get there.
3. Some people know what they're doing but that's because they worked really hard and now they know things.
4. 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.

This Is Your Business

I post this every year because it's important.

I don't really see a future where I'm not thinking about it.

When you're all finished with Christmas movies and presents and throwing away all that wrapping paper, and when you finally go back to work after the holidays . . .

Remember why you're working on anything at all.

Here's an excerpt from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that reminds me why I'm working so hard:

"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Business!"

"Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

It held up its chain at arm's length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again.

"At this time of the rolling year," the spectre said "I suffer most. "Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!'

Thanks for reading.

I hope you had a rejuvenating and reflective holiday.

With self-reflection, focus, and empathy, we can help others and live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

We're all counting on you.

The 3 Critical Stages To Conquer Any Upsetting Change

Here is the fastest route available to dealing with difficult change:

1 - Awareness

This is the stage where you realize the reality of what's happening around you. This is where you understand the impact and consequences that change has brought.

2 -  Acceptance

This is when you realize that what's real is real and thinking about it or wishing it wasn't true doesn't actually improve anything. You can't go back in time and this is the turning point when you adapt to reality and become ready to move on.

3 - Action

This is the stage where you are back in motion. You are moving with the waves and toward a new destination or vision. Even if you don't have a vision yet, you know you have to start somewhere and this is you in motion.It's these critical 3 steps that you must move through unpredictable or difficult change.That's it.Now that you know, it's up to you to figure out how to move faster through them.How to do that?Identify the phase in which you take the longest amount of time, and start there.

2 Minute Action

For me, it's the second step that takes the longest. I, like many others, tend to ruminate on what could be, what I could have done, or what I should have done. Reflecting and analyzing is helpful, but ruminating and dwelling is non-productive and time-consuming.What's your weak point out of these three?Reply, forward, comment, and let me know!The more we share these weaknesses, the better able we are to address and strengthen them.