Are You Playing Small?
Most of us have at least one area of our life where we are playing it small i.e. we are not doing the best we can or asking for the best we can receive because we fear judgement from others or we don't think it's possible for us.
I used to dread appraisal time at my last job. I would go to the meeting unprepared, not remembering everything I had achieved in the past year. My boss didn't really know what I had done but how could he? He had a big team to manage and his own job to do.
He would present his lucid perception of my achievements and my value to the company. Even if I didn't agree, I didn't have the evidence to challenge him. That's when I realised I was playing it small. I wanted the recognition I knew I deserved, I wanted a promotion, and I wanted to be successful in my job, so I upped my game.
I started to keep a log of my achievements as they occurred throughout the year; the projects I completed, the money I saved for the company, the services I improved, the positive feedback I received etc. When it came to appraisal time, I had it all to hand - BAM! I got my promotion, recognition and more.
So where could you be playing it small?
You might want your business to be more successful but you fear being visible, so you avoid marketing your services or yourself. If you keep playing it small how can your clients find you and receive the unique help that only you can provide?
Maybe you're still not charging for your services because you fear no one will want to pay for your offerings. In the meantime, you're struggling to get by financially.
You might be a brilliant artist, dreaming of future accomplishments but your paintings are gathering dust when they could be bringing joy to others. You could display your work in a physical pop-up shop or digitally on Instagram.
You could simply have a desire to work out at the gym but you don't want to look silly as you struggle to use the fancy, Hi-Tech equipment (this was me 😂) Youtube is a godsend! You can watch a beginner's guide to gym equipment, then you're good to go.
Perhaps someone has asked you to do a talk on a topic you're passionate about but you continually make excuses whilst secretly wishing you had the confidence to accept the request. Well now might be the time for your message to be heard.
If there is a part of your life where you've been playing it small but now you're starting to re-think things, let me know! 🦋
Namasté
Gwen x
