Are you feeling as if the challenges and adventures that you read about on Facebook and Twitter somehow never land at your feet? Maybe it’s just winter, you’re craving warmer temps and beautiful blooms… as soon as winter is over you’ll hit the refresh button, right?
Or, maybe it’s just easier to leave things as they are, and easier to set and meet predictable, incremental goals…
Are you waiting for something good to happen? For most of us it is not our natural inclination to be bold. After all, a gutsy person is fearless, confident and adventurous. Fact is that boldness is an important part of success, even if it’s not part of your personality. The good news is that boldness is a skillset that you can learn.
“It’s going to take boldness to become debt free.” “It’s going to take boldness to get to that next position in your career”. Or, “it will take boldness to raise kids who will thrive in society.” And the list goes on.
Being bold doesn’t mean being perfect. Boldness does not mean being brassy or arrogant. Being bold is getting out there, doing it, sometimes messing it up, dusting yourself off… and doing it again. And again. Never losing sight of your dream.
We are often so afraid of being judged or criticised, or being laughed at, that we refuse to try new things. We need to stop living in fear of making mistakes, because we will make mistakes – period. So, it’s time, with your knees knocking and your heart racing, to take control of your life, your journey, your adventure!
We have a few tips on how to boost your boldness:
Recognise your “good bits” and “not so good bits”. Being who you really are, warts and all, takes honesty and courage. Rediscover your strengths and weaknesses.
Make your dominant thoughts positive. Train your mind to expect the best, make positive assumptions about your future.
Pair action with knowledge. Improve your odds of success by doing your homework.
Speak up. As long as you’re backed by knowledge and are considerate to others, be bold and go for it. If you have something to say, say it!
Prioritise. Boldness and organisation goes hand in hand. It will help you to take control and get things done.
Take risks. Ask yourself: “If I take this risk personally or professionally, what is the worst that could happen?” And then be prepared for that. Will you be able to cope financially or reputation-wise? If you can, go for it.
Plan to be great. Dream big; follow it up with calculated risks and deliberate action.
Do the unexpected. Try new things. Whatever you do, make sure you do it for yourself.
Revisit your victories. Close your eyes and feel the celebratory emotion of each one. Bring the same drive, persistence and talent into everything you do and allow it to motivate you.
Remember, without the risk of failure, you don’t have the opportunity for success.
You’ve heard it many times before: “No guts, no glory!”
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com, www.wikihow.com, standardissuemagazine.com, www.theglobeandmail.com, tinybuddha.com, www.joycemeyer.org, www.urbanalchemy.co, www.oprahmag.co.za, www.inc.com, www.youtube.com