So today I would like to share with you how I transform my life from a socially awkward introvert.
Coming from someone who was socially awkward and having low self-esteem, I can say that it is possible for you to overcome your limiting beliefs of who you are and become who you want to be. It is also possible to overcome your fears to achieve your goals and I have another video about that, I put the link right here, you can check it out later.
I am naturally an introvert. I was uptight and a person with a few words. I have a resting bitch face and I hardly socialise. It was extremely hard for me to initiate a conversation or keeping the conversation alive. I used to think this was my personality and I wouldn't be able to change that. I believed people should just accept me for who I was.
At work, I compensate for my shortcomings by working a lot harder to show that I was a good value to the Team. Though I was lucky to have bosses who saw my strengths and appreciated my hard work, I also realised that I lost many other opportunities for not being able to be outspoken, friendly, charismatic or letting people see my values etc... That was when I knew I had to make changes so I can improve my life personally and professionally.
Throughout my journey, R-I-S-E has helped me improve myself, build my confidence and transform my life.
Reflect, reflect and reflect:
I did very well at the beginning but my career got plateau after the 3 years. That made me pause and reflect. Reflection plays a huge part in my growth.
I asked myself a lot of questions when I saw someone else got more opportunities just because they were more outgoing, more charismatic and friendlier even though I knew I had the better capability. Unfortunately, this is how the world works, first impression counts. So I had this situation playing in my head: if I went for an interview for a job, would I want to lose out to people just because they appeared friendlier, more outgoing and could converse better than me? Would I want to lose out to people for something I knew I had been making excuse not to work on it?
That question changed my life.
Initiate an Action Plan:
First, we need to know what we need to work on. I knew exactly what my weaknesses were. I needed to work on my soft skill. I was so uptight, awkward and boring. I hate small talk, hardly joke and took everything seriously. I knew if I wanted to progress in my career and be a leader and the ability to connect and influence people is crucial.
So I had an action plan on how to improve those. I forced myself to walk up to every guest at the hotel and initiate a conversation with small talks and learn from them. I started talking to my juniors and colleagues more often to understand them personally. I practise speaking with conviction and confidence every chance I got. I got inspired by people I admired and continued practising day by day until it became me naturally.
What is important in our journey is not perfection but just to get started and practise every day.
Set clear goals:
It is difficult for us to progress without a clear goal. Setting goals have always been important to my journey. Both short terms or long terms goals give me the motivation to improve myself and a purpose to keep me going. Goals also hold me accountable, track my progress and guide me on making decisions and setting my priorities. They give me opportunities to learn about myself and make adjustment along the way. Here is a quote from Les Brown:
Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.
Empower and stop comparing with others:
I used to feel unhappy and disappointed with myself whenever I hear how other people achieved more in their career and life. I pushed myself harder and ended up feeling exhausted and still unhappy. But I've learnt that everyone has their chances and my chances will come to me only when I am ready to receive. That changed how I see life. I started focusing on working on myself and not concerning how other people were doing or what they were getting. I do not want just money or a title or promotion, I want to become the most interesting person with values and when I became more valuable, greater opportunities will come to me.
When I stop comparing myself with others and start working on myself, I feel more self-assured and confident. It is not that I am better than anyone, it is just that I do not see the need for me to compare with others.
So R-I-S-E has helped me break through from a socially awkward introvert to a more confident and self-assured person and it transforms my life. If I could do it, you could too. or you could share this video with any of your friends who want to transform their lives but don't know-how.
Please do share with me in the comment if you have other methods you use to overcome your challenges and transform your life, I would love to hear.