Back yourself.

Making a big, bold career move is exciting... and often overwhelming.

It can take you months of back and forth, then finally deciding to raise your hand for that promotion, saying yes to that international placement.. or accepting a leadership role at a whole new organisation.

At interview you prepare yourself, you "promote" yourself. 

You tell them all the reasons why you are the best choice, and how you will be successful and your grand plans.

You accept the role. Congratulations.

*insert wine popping noise here*

You celebrate, resign. Perhaps feel a little guilty at what you are leaving behind.  

With each day you get closer to your exciting new job, that voice in your head gets a little bit louder.

"Have I made the right decision?"

"Have I bitten off more than I can chew?" 

"What if I can't deliver all that I said I could?"

"What if I fail?"

That most unhelpful voice.

Sometimes the hardest part of a leadership transition is not the learning, it's your inner voice and those deep-rooted fears that show up just as you are about to do something challenging and exciting!  

The thing is that you are smart, and you have an incredible capacity to learn and grow into your new role. It will be challenging, however, that's what attracted you anyway. 

Right?

Since launching my own business I am constantly in a growth phase. That voice never quite leaves me, however, it does get ignored.

I have two words I use when I start to feel like this. 

"BACK YOURSELF!" 

Then I proceed from a place of trust that things will work out, that I will find a way. Versus making decisions from a place of fear, that it is all going to go t*ts up! ;-) 

You will find a way of making it work.  Even if it looks different to how you imagine it right now.

My advice would be to not sit with that voice alone too long.

Going through major change, growth, a transition - you absolutely need a trusted support crew around you for those moments when you start to doubt yourself.

They'll remind you of all the reasons why it will work, and the progress you are making along the way.

Support is transition gold.  

Support gets you out of your own head, and focused on doing what you do best - learning the ropes and smashing it in the day job.

Going it alone, means that voice can sometimes be your only company. That voice can lead you astray.

I needed to write this today for 2 reasons.

1) A good friend messaged me this morning as the voice was growing too loud. Which reminded me just how many people are going through this right now, and might need a boost.

2) I celebrated the first 3 months milestone with an incredible leader today, who I've been privileged to work with. I have loved being part of her support team as she took on a challenging new leadership role. She summarised her first months with 2 statements:

"I smashed it!" and "I am on top of the world!"

It wasn't all easy, it was a challenge and exhausting ... however, she feels energised by it all, and the confirmation of what she really did know deep down, that she would "thrive and deliver".

*insert huge beaming smile*

That's the thing, deep down you know you can do it .... that you are capable of achieving your ambitions and goals. It's just that flamin' voice that can make it more painful than it needs to be.

So relax into the discomfort.  

Take the anxiety as acknowledgement that you are about to do something big. You are about to take things to a whole new level.

Right, enough from me ... just a Friday message from me to you.

You've got this!

Jenn

Career transition and onboarding coach, and part-time adventurer

(From a sunny Edinburgh... yes, I am obsessed with the weather!) ;-)

PS - are you making a bold leadership move later this year? Do you need a "Jenn" as part of your support crew? I am talking to people, and taking on clients for August onwards NOW. DM me if interested, and we can grab a virtual coffee to chat more.

PPS - 90% of my clients are virtual .. so you absolutely do not need to move to scotland to work with me ;-)