I had the pleasure of attending, Pamay Bassey’s TedTALK in New York last week (it starts around minute 19 of the “Act 1” link). Pamay and I have worked together since 2007. I’ve been her client, she’s been my client, and through it all, we’ve been a sounding board for one another as we navigate the world of workplace learning… and beyond.
She said something in her talk that reminded me of a time during my first year as an independent consultant. I was having a particularly “low confidence day.” You know, the kind of day where you think to yourself, “Man, I don’t know how to do this.” or “I’m not sure I can make this work.”
Anyway, I called Pamay and explained my conundrum and she calmly asked, “Gretchen, if not you, then who? Name one person you know who can do this better than you can.” I don’t remember what the situation was, but I am sure she shared a time or two when she’d felt stuck (because we all do, no matter how long we’ve been doing this work) and I guarantee we laughed. Then, I hung up and got back to work.
There are a few pieces of gold here for me, and am grateful for the reminder:
- Many times, when you are stuck, you just have to decide that you can and will figure it out.
- You must believe that you are the right person for the job.
- When you are feeling stuck, reach out to your network for support and some good ole fashioned cheerleading.
- Then, just keep it moving.