Remember the dreams and ambition you had for yourself as you were growing up, or when you finally graduated and stepped out in the world?
Remember when you decided the type of leader you would be or business owner?
Remember the things you used to do that would make your heart sing or laugh so much your face would start hurting?
Remember that feeling of dancing like nobody is watching?
These dreams are beaten out of us – in the playground by the schoolyard bully, in the workplace by the queen bees and the wannabees, on the back of 360 performance reviews that focus on our weaknesses or what we haven’t done. Or maybe even there’s that one moment, that one bit of negative feedback that someone once gave, that even now, when you think about it, you can remember it word for word and how it made you feel.
Here’s the thing though.
Your business, your team and your family need you to be the best version of you so they can be the best versions of themselves too.
As speaker and author Steve Maraboli says in his book, ‘Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience’, “you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.”
It’s time to claim your ambition.
To be confident about what you are bringing to your work and your clients every single day.
To have the conviction and passion about the work you are doing.
To build your business. To own your success.
It’s time to quit the grind and the ongoing hustle.
It’s time to stop being the world’s best kept secret, to quit being invisible and embrace becoming invincible – so that you are finally making the impact you want to make.
Let’s start with a little self-reflection
If you had to mark yourself somewhere on the horizontal and vertical axis of this model, where do you feel you are right now?
Invisible or Visible?
Thinking about the work you are doing and the results you are achieving right now, where would you place yourself along the axis of invisible to visible?
- Do you feel invisible right now, not being noticed for what you are doing or the value you are adding? Is it tough attracting new business? Maybe you are even questioning whether you are doing the right thing or if you are even on the right path?
- Or are you feeling excited, lit up and getting noticed the majority of the time for what it is that you do? Are you visible?
Self-doubt or self-belief?
Now, where would you place yourself on the axis of self-doubt to self-belief?
- Are you struggling with self-doubt or feelings of not good enough? Maybe you are starting to feel like an imposter and worrying that you don’t have what it takes to be a success, hiding your ambition from the world?
- Or are you feeling confident in yourself, your skills and capabilities? You know what you are good at and you’re actually feeling good about yourself.
Grab a pen and draw an ‘X’ on the spot that you feel best represents where you are at.
Done it?
What do you notice?
You might be feeling really visible right now with your work, your company, even the people you are working with but the self-doubt and feelings of not being good enough are starting to creep in. You may be questioning your decisions or doubting your capability and so find yourself placing a ‘X’ in the top left-hand side.
Alternatively, you may be feeling invisible and frustrated at your lack of progress and not getting noticed in your industry. Your client leads are on a drip fed speed and the lumpy revenue as a result is really putting the pressure on. You know there is more – just maybe not sure what the more or the next is. Your self-belief and conviction are strong but there is just something, you don’t know what, that is missing. If this is the case, you might find you place an ‘X’ in the bottom right-hand quadrant.
Our ultimate aim is to place ourselves in the top right-hand quadrant. A place where we are being noticed for the work that we are doing, fired up to do more, where our self-belief is solid, and we know we are doing the work we love in the best way we can.
This is a place where you are claiming your ambition. A place where you are able to consistently inspire others and create the impact you desire for who you are and the work you are doing.
Take a moment to hit the pause button and reflect.
Ask yourself if you are sitting in the waiting room of now or ready to claim your ambition and step into the opportunity of tomorrow.
I’d love to hear.
