Diary Week 7 — Hitting the Magic Tipping Point
Leaving a job with a comfortable salary and the security that brings is a big step to take. I did this for the second time in my life at the tail-end of last year, and since then I’ve had an uneasy feeling. There was a mark I had to hit to make that lingering fear fizzle away.
As last week brought itself to a close, that mark was hit. The tipping point where I’d won enough business to sustain my life. Not just mine, but that of my nearest and dearest. Phew. A massive weight off my shoulders. Time to go and push things further forward.
Self-doubt
Outwardly, I think I come across as a confident (perhaps overly so at times) person. I’m pretty secure in myself, but there are times when self-doubt can creep in. Can I do this again? Will I win new clients and deliver what they need? Am I still relevant? Last week gave me that little bit of validation I needed to feel at ease. Phew! I won’t be taking my foot off the gas, but I’ll be accelerating without that gnawing feeling in my stomach. There’s still some self-validation to carry out, but I’ve now got the freedom to do it.
Realising you aren’t suitable
I’ve been trying something new in the past week — a ‘vlog’. You know, documenting your life on video and sharing it with people online. I’m not very good at it. Every now and again, I was recording something I was doing — travelling to a meeting for example. Dull? You better believe it! If I’m going to do it, I want it to add value, so not just a behind-the-scenes look at my existence. Lots of people do that and do it very well, it’s just right now, as much as I love my life, it isn’t that exciting. My work excites me, but do you want to see a video of me writing a strategy? Thought not.
I did dabble in video in the past with VelociTV, a weekly digital marketing new programme I created for a while and enjoyed it, but it gave way to my podcast (coming back soon!) and I found the voice-only medium suited me better. I’ve done a fair bit of TV work over the years and I do a lot of public speaking, but regardless of that, I just don’t feel like I’m suitable for the sole focus being me. I keep trying it and deleting the videos.
Often people feel pressure to be everywhere — blogging, social, video, audio etc. I think there has to be a level of self-awareness when it comes to the mediums that suit you. I do a lot of video on Snapchat, but that’s off the cuff, lo-fi stuff and that’s why I like it. It’s not that video isn’t suitable for me, but the vlogging area of it certainly is! I’m comfortable with that.
Cheers for now!
