How To Build Your Confidence
At the beginning of Covid, when we all went into lockdown, I decided that the best thing I could do to be helpful was to run a series of free marketing webinars.
Oh, and start putting out a few videos on social media.
Except, I have always hated being videoed.
In a normal world, I am a public speaker (a throwback to wanting to be an actress when I was young) and I’m quite happy on stage in front of an audience.
Stick me in front of a camera though and the words just dry up and I can think of NOTHING to say.
Worse, webinars and videos involve technology….and whilst I’m pretty OK with tech under normal circumstances, once you go love on a camera to an audience somewhere, it’s amazing how the gremlins magically become an overactive part of your audience!
Nevertheless, I battled on and to be honest was pretty appalling to begin with.
I NEVER go back and watch anything I’ve done once it’s out there; I’d pretty much head for the nearest duvet to hide and never want to come out again!
But, with repetition, you get a bit better. You learn new ways of recording, of managing your videos, webinars or podcasts or whatever which helps, but overall with that repetition comes confidence. Little by little.
When I first started, I had to build myself up to getting in front of the camera: it was literally a case of not over thinking it (because you can quickly talk yourself out of it!) and put your Big Girl — or Boy! — Pants on. Basically, I had to get over myself!
But by getting over myself, and leaning into the abject dislike, and just doing it, then my confidence grew.
Am I perfect yet? No, definitely not. I’m far better than I was, but I have a way to go. This repetition, the keeping on doing it so I grow in confidence, helps me to grow.
And it can with you too. So, if you’re fearful of something that you know you really should do, take a small step. And to be honest, when I speak to fellow business owners, it’s normally technology that puts the fear into them. So today you do not need to be a world expert at whatever tech you’re using, you just need to do one thing, even if it is doing it badly. Because next time, you’ll do it a bit better, and the time after that.
Your confidence and knowledge will come to you hand in hand I promise.
Just get your best Big Girl or Big Boy Pants on to start.
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