1/ I was at a women speed mentoring event yesterday. Heard women at junior & senior levels speak about anxieties they were facing e.g. a) when transitioning into a new role b) when getting more responsibilities and having to lead a team
2/ some thoughts: first, the people we idealize and have the skills/job we admire also feel anxiety. at every level, people are anxious about skills they don’t master (yet).
3/ the common thought underlying this is “I’ll be happy once I’ve master x y z”. that’s not really realistic since there’s always a new skill or challenge to focus on, and therefore a new source of anxiety that could emerge.
4/ we’re not looking at these ‘gaps’ as growth opportunities, but rather as flaws within us that we need to fix until we can be as competent as others.
5/ Changes to our skillset are inevitable given how quickly our environment, role, and industries evolve. If we keep feeling anxious about skills we don’t have, we risk putting our body under stress throughout our entire career. energy is better spent picking up these new skills.
6/ Isn’t a career/life about constant problem-solving & growth? Why don’t we get excited about opportunities to learn and become better humans rather than feel anxious about them?
7/ I suck at many things, but I love learning and growing. the process is not that pleasant but growth is probably the greatest experience we’re offered in life and one we’ll look back to with a smile. Why turn this into self-loathing, shame and stress.
8/ thanks again @Nextplayinc & @LinkedIn for organizing this event & for mentors like @lizabethyueli, @rmogha and everyone else for sharing their experience! great reminder that challenges = learning opportunities & helping peers grow can be > building cool things.
