Have you ever been in a situation where you thought to yourself “why is this so hard?!” while simultaneously beating yourself up because you “should know how to do this!”
Same.
And one thing I’ve been having fresh revelation in lately is that we don’t actually have to learn new skills as often as we have to learn new contexts for using the ones we already have. Let me explain.
Let’s look at swimming, for instance. Swimming incorporates lots of different movements and techniques at the same time. You have to breathe (at the right time), move your arms and legs, and be utilizing various muscle groups – all while keeping your target in mind and staying on track to reach it.
But now, as you’re about to step on stage to give a speech, you find yourself a “fish out of water” so to speak, and your swimming abilities seem totally useless and out of place here. I mean, it’s not like the average group of people would want to stick too close if you just started flailing around and gasping for air mid-talk.
Even if you’ve never given a speech before, and you’re having some fears around it, let’s at least ground in and recognize areas where you already excel – areas that will come in handy for this very scenario…and hopefully build some confidence as you discover them!
So, how do you translate those skills into your new environment of, let’s say, public speaking? They’re not even the same. True. But let’s take a look…
You’ve trained, which shows determination.
You’ve succeeded, which shows sticktoittiveness.
You’ve learned the skill of swimming, which shows willingness and endurance.
You’ve implemented multiple skills at once, which shows muscle memory and versatility.
What I’m going to encourage you to look at is not the skill itself, per se, but the quality that’s shining through it.
You’ve got what it takes for this new venture!
It’s already within you, and each new context you use those skills in will only bolster your confidence and further build your strength!
Go forth!
New context, new schmontext. You’ve got this!
