Whilst December is often a time of celebration and reflection, come January it is time to look forward and plan ahead. I imagine you’ve already thought about resolutions and intentions for the year ahead. Perhaps a couple of them have already been discarded. My challenge here is that you think in terms of what you can and will do rather than what you won’t do. That you think big, rather than think small. And that these intentions come from your heart and your truth, rather than what you think those around you are hoping for and expecting of you.
How about making 2015 the year in which you Dare Greatly? How about getting really brave in how you show up for the year ahead?
How could you turn up the courage dial on your plans for the year? Where do you want to Dare Greatly and truly make a difference?
One of my favourite aspects of Dr. Brené Brown’s work is the metaphor of the arena, and I think it’s a great place from which to think about your intentions for the year ahead. This is the place where you authentically show-up and dare greatly with your most vulnerable self. Her inspiration for this comes from Theodore Roosevelt:
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again … who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly”
Theodore Roosevelt.
One of the key messages here is to let go of the fear of failure.
I sometimes wonder how much greatness there is hidden behind closed doors across the land; ideas and plans that never come to fruition because of this fear. How often do you hear people (or indeed yourself) saying, ‘There’s no point trying that, it’ll never work’?
Highly successful people across the world share a common trait – failure does not intimidate them anymore. In fact, many successful people have experienced multiple failures before getting to where they are today. Rather than letting the fear of failure hold them back, they have reframed failure as a learning opportunity, and as evidence that they are in the arena and Daring Greatly.
The other key message is that this won’t be an easy ride.
Theodore Roosevelt talks of ‘dust and sweat and blood’, whilst Dr. Brené Brown talks about the vulnerability implicit with being in the arena. You may well get your ass kicked in the process as there will be plenty of critics ready to take a swipe at you. Whilst this fear of other people’s reactions can really make us feel stuck, many successful people have learnt how to develop resilience to this.
Lauren Laverne recently talked about her experiences in covering Eva Wiseman’s maternity leave in the Observer. She said she realised that ‘people slagging you off is not the end of the world’ and that whilst plenty of people disagreed with what she had to say, ‘only dicks were dicks about it’. My own technique is inspired by Brené – unless the criticism comes from someone who is also in the arena, getting their ass kicked too, then I’m not interested.
So what’s my arena for 2015? I long to get my voice out there – by writing, blogging and public speaking. I realise I have played small for too long from a place of fear – fear that people won’t be interested in what I have to say and fear that people won’t agree with it. It is time for me to be heard.
What about you? Where do you want to ‘dare greatly’ in 2015? If you could operate from your truth, let go of other people’s expectations and criticisms, and learn to manage that fear of failure, what arena could you step in to?
I’m making 2015 the year I Dare Greatly… Who else is in?
~ Roxanne
A quest post by Roxanne Hobbs. She describes herself as on a mission to transform business via the inclusivity of women. Roxanne works with women to help them uncover their authentic leadership voice and make a difference within organisations. Roxanne is a certified coach (CPCC ACC) who lives in Hackney with her husband, two young boys and a crazy puggle. She’s the founder of Hackney Mums.
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