I’m a big fan of everything Angela Lussier. With her permission I’m going to share her latest newsletter here. If you like it, you might want to sign up for her newsletter yourself… 🙂
“How do you do all the stuff you do?”
This is a question I get all the time. I usually just laugh and say I don’t know, I just do it, but the truth is, I do know.
If you’re stuck in the murky in-between of wanting something new but not taking the action it takes to make it happen, I have a decision making tool for you.
It’s called The Simple Six.
I make work-related decisions by asking myself the following six questions:
- Will it be fun?
- Will I learn something?
- How long will it take and do I have the time?
- Will I need to spend money and if so, is it worth it to me?
- Will I make money, and if so, is it worth it to me?
- What are the hidden benefits and will I get closer to accomplishing my goals?
I don’t get caught up in the following:
I’m not good enough, smart enough, old/young enough, experienced enough.
- I don’t know how.
- I’m not someone who does that.
- It’s too scary/hard.
- This could end in failure/embarrassment/loss of something.
- By staying focused on what I gain by saying YES, I cut out the road of worry, anxiety and fear and just get to work.
The more I do this, the easier it gets.
The more I do this, the stronger my confidence is in my ability to do things that might not work.
The more I do this, the more skilled I become.
The more I do this, the quieter the inner critic becomes.
Decision making is a skill and it’s something you can develop if you focus on it as part of a process. You can use my Simple Six or make your own. What’s important to you when making a decision? Once you know, it becomes easier to take action and you stop getting stuck in the murkiness.
Here’s a list of a few recent decisions I made and why I made them.
Aug 4: I was asked to sit on a panel called How Women Lead presented by Boston Speaks. I love panels (fun)!! I wanted to meet more women in Boston because I’d like to have more Speaker Sisterhood clubs there (networking, learning, opportunity). It was not a paid engagement but the hidden benefits were connections and exposure. It was worth the day-long trip to sit in front of hundreds of women in Boston and thousands who tuned in online. Watch the panel discussion here and if you’re short on time, here are some of my points:
- I share about my public speaking journey (29:10)
- Learn why I think public speaking is so important (44:19)
- Why public speaking is critical for confidence (47:20)
Aug 12: I posted a 5-page essay on the Huffington Post entitled, “Stop Trying to Smash Fear. An Essay for Women” and received more comments on that piece than anything I’ve ever written, presented, or created. I did this because it needed to be done even though it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever released! The decision to post it took me an entire week and the reasons were different – it’s something women (and men) need to hear. I was dealing with a lot of the “Who do you think you are?” questions and finally just hit “Post” and got it over with! You can also hear me read this essay on my podcast here.
Aug 23: A Facebook Live video interview with Scott Stolze, leadership coach and founder of Teaching 2 Lead in Boston. Scott asked for an hour of my time to feature me on his website. I like doing interviews (fun), I’m interested in what he does (learning), he came to Springfield to record the interview (time), and it’s a good way to promote my business to new audiences (hidden benefits).
Back to you.
What are you avoiding and keeping in the in-between murkiness that is Nothing Land? Why? If fear of failure, judgment, or rejection are getting in your way, just get back to reality and look at The Simple Six. See if you can get started in spite of fear. Surprise yourself. Keep moving even when it’s hard. Start small and keep going. Each time you do something you think you can’t do, you build confidence and find out you’re more capable than you think.
On September 5th, I’m opening the doors to the Speaking School for Women for the fourth time and I’m accepting 15 students. I already have a bunch of women pre-registered and we can’t wait to get started! If you’ve been putting off the decision to become a paid speaker by joining this class, now is the time to take action! Decide once and for all – are you in, or are you out?
I’ll be back next week with more thoughts on the Speaking School and stories from past students who will be on next week’s episode of the podcast. I’ll be on a writing retreat for most of next week, but if you have questions, email me anytime and I’ll respond when I’m back.
In the meantime, you can get more information about my school right here.