What's YOUR story?
The Career Storylies We Tell Ourselves
- I’m doing this just for fun.
- I could have if...
- I wanted to but..
- If I had tried, then...
- If I hadn't had...
- I wasn’t interested.
- Oh, I’m not sure it is for me.
- I’m not qualified.
- I'm not ready.
On the heels of last week's post on recovery from (apparent) failure, a post on the storylies we tell ourselves.
Take another look at the bullet points above.
How often have you uttered one of those phrases - at the moment you've brushed off pursuing a project or applying for role?
Storylies are so common, we might not even notice how often we utter them. Storylies are our shields - warding off disappointment, or fluffy blanket - pulled up to ease heavy discomfort of another's small vision for us.
Are you telling a story that is holding back? Are you cheating yourself out of a goal by minimizing your story?
Reframe your story.
Was the outcome really a complete disaster, or did you achieve a different result?
Entrepreneur, author and artist Nataly Kogan recently shared 3 lessons she learned from her first international art show - and one of those lessons centered on the "story" she told herself about success from exhibiting her art. Sales are one measure but when she stepped back to expand the aperture of her success lens, Nataly's tally grew to 11.
Lacking confidence to take a big leap?
In an Instagram post, best selling author and communications expert Maxie McCoy shared how she changed her internal confidence gage- with three simple words: act as if.
Your network is a key part of your story.
Is your network reinforcing existing storylies or helping you craft new, more exciting chapters?
🗝️ Seeking a network to make a confidence pivot, then read this.
🗝️ Wondering why you're not being rewarded for the fabulous job you're performing day in and day out, then read this.
🗝️ Feel like you're lost in wilderness of what the what to do next with your professional life, then read this.
Need more?
Why Some Founders in Startup Accelerators Do Better Than Others (Knowledge at Wharton) — if the story you've been told is that accelerators help inexperienced founders magically open doors to success, listen to this.
How to Get More Out of Your Daily Interactions to Feel Happier and More Connected (Readers Digest) - the story you've been told about the value of bantering with strangers needs a complete re-write.
Hand Gestures Can Help You Sell. Here’s Why (Knowledge at Wharton) - seems using your hands significantly helps to get your story across.
Reading to young kids improves their social skills − and a new study shows it doesn’t matter whether parents stop to ask questions (The Conversation) - time to reinstate reading to your kids at bedtime.