You are smarter than you think you are
I attended a networking event last week and each person was asked to share what advice they would give their younger self. It did not take me long to think, “You are smarter than you think you are.” I grew up in Connecticut and attended public school. I distinctly remember my advanced calculus class in which every other student except for me and one other, was headed to college to become an engineer. I thought that they were all smarter than me. As my career advanced, I ended up as a finance executive in the healthcare industry and many times have thought I should have been a physician. I would have been a really good doctor and in retrospect, I wonder if my self-regard in high school limited my thinking about my potential career. So, what does that mean for me today? There are always smarter people. Who cares? The comparison game only holds you back. Critically think about your gifts and how you bring them into your personal and professional life. I am analytical, a lifelong learner, empathetic, and want to help people around me be their best selves. I bring these skills and desires to my life coaching business and to how I interact with others daily.
What else would I tell my younger self? “Be willing to take risks.” I was not a risk-taker for most of my life. My life was planned and very linear. I attribute this to a lot of things, but one is my level of confidence in my ability to be successful outside of the path I had chosen. However, as my confidence grew, I did learn to take risks and left an excellent job to strike out on my own as an independent finance consultant. At the time, my supervisor had left the company I worked for, I traveled a lot and my inability to manage the demands of my job and my personal life had led to a high level of anxiety and stress. I made the transition by contacting different consulting firms and individuals I had worked with and successfully found work that paid well, that I enjoyed and that was under my terms. If you find yourself in a situation that does not feel right but is very comfortable, seriously consider making a change. Take some time to inventory your skills, consider what is interesting to you, and connect with people who can provide advice and opportunities.
I will end with one other piece of advice that came from another person attending the meeting. “People and connections are very important and don’t be afraid to use them (I am paraphrasing as these were not his exact words).” I am a very independent person and have hesitated at times in my life to ask for help from others and did not always value the benefit of mutually beneficial relationships. I spend a significant amount of time now as a new business owner meeting people and developing relationships with the intent to get new clients but also to help others like me grow their business. Especially when life is very busy, it may be difficult to take the time necessary to build those relationships. Do it anyway.
What would you tell your younger self? That advice may very well apply to your life today. Think about it.