Self-improvement requires humility and a willingness to “look stupid.”

Do you remember what life was like when you were 3 days old?

At birth, almost everything you learned was brand new. You were developing motor and sensory skills and learning how to nourish yourself, communicate, and generally speaking, how to be in the world.

Throughout childhood, adolescence, and even early adulthood, you were still constantly learning new things.

But something happens once you get settled in your health care career. You’ve passed all the tests, checked all the boxes, secured the coveted role. Then, the learning changes. It doesn’t stop altogether, but it becomes much more specialized and more siloed.

So much so, that the idea of learning something genuinely new — something you're inexperienced in — can feel daunting. Intimidating even.

As health care providers, many of us think of ourselves as lifelong learners. But being a true lifelong learner means accepting and embracing every aspect of the learning process, even the uncomfortable ones.

Learning a new skill requires you to consciously confront your fears and insecurities — fear of attention, fear of public failure, fear of "looking stupid"... The list goes on.?

And I get it.?Those fears can run deep. But here’s the thing about fear. If you don’t have power over fear, fear will have power over you.

Hopefully these 3 truths will help you step into your confidence, into your power:

1. People are probably thinking about you way less than you think they are. (And if they're not, maybe they should be. ??)
2. If you're constantly living your life according to someone else’s opinions (or perceived opinions), your life is not truly your own. It's someone else’s.
3. You’ll never cross the finish line if you never start the race.

Those fears can run deep. But here’s the thing about fear. If you don’t have power over fear, fear will have power over you.

-Megan N. Freeland, PharmD

Picture this.

You’re cooking dinner, and you’ve got a taste for spaghetti. So you grab a large pot from the cabinet, fill it with water, and place it on the stove.

You walk away (because "multitasking," am I right?) and return not more than 15 minutes later, ready to salt your boiling water and drop your pasta in.

You’re surprised to find a perfectly still water line. That’s when you realize: you never turned on the stove.

You can’t finish if you never start.

In order to master your skill of interest, you have to be willing to put your pride to the side and start from scratch. (Don’t just take my word for it: two health content editors at GoodRx offered similar advice for aspiring health writers.)

And here’s the thing: you don’t have to do it on your own or without support. For example, I created an accelerator program that helps US-based health care professionals become health content writers, using their clinical expertise to educate the public through online patient education.

I'm just one example of a single person who can help you with a specific skill.

There are plenty of other people and resources out there that can support you with your specific skills development journey. You just have to find them.

Thank you for taking the time to read the It's Bigger Than Pharmacy newsletter.

What’s a skill you’re ready to start developing, and what will your first step be?