Right now, I am preparing to pack my bags and head over to Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane for some fantastic events. Let me tell you; I am both scared and excited.
I am so thrilled about the events and the leaders we are working with for our Better Mentor Relationships project. These are people achieving amazing things. I look up to them as role models, people I can ask for advice, and friends.
I so want you to meet these people. They’re successful, they’re friendly, and they’re open to sharing their experiences, offering support and encouragement. I am over the moon that they’ve come on board to enrich the lives of the up-and-coming young leaders in our industry. This is exactly what I envisioned the Acorn Network to be when I first realised it was bigger than an online support community.
I am anxious that no one will see the value and book tickets to the events.
I am terrified that I am going to make a fool of myself.
I am petrified of letting people down.
And why am I telling you I’m so fearful? Because being scared is normal!
What I’ve come to realise after spearheading this project is that my enemy isn’t making mistakes. It’s not even the fear itself.
I now know there’s a lot of energy in fear, so I harness it to pull up my socks, work a little harder, and channel that energy into action.
When the fear gets overwhelming, I pick up the phone and talk to a mentor. They listen. They tell me that I am on the right track. They offer advice and support. Without my mentors, I wouldn’t be a far into my business and life goals as I am right now.
We now have a bigger age diversity in our workplaces than ever before. I believe this puts us in the enviable position of being able to share generations of knowledge and lift each other higher. By understanding how mentoring and supporting other people work, we can all be better at our jobs. After all, even CEOs have mentors. They realise the inherent value. Why shouldn’t we start that scaffolding at the beginning of a career too?
So, I’m heading off to many parts of Australia, and I’m saying hello to that feeling of anxiety. I know I’m on the right track. I know action is the antidote to fear. I’ve learned consistent action is all you need to make anything happen in life.
Once you add in a community of generous and amazing people who’ve been in the exact same place you’ve been before, and you start to structure a support system around you, well you can pretty much take on the world. You don’t need to be ready to start an action. You just need to start.
Be a life-long learner and ask for advice from people you love and respect. Be proactive and get the feedback you need. When you’re feeling demotivated, reach out to your mentor, a friend or a colleague and help them out. Help someone else experience their happiness, and you’ll experience it, too.
I look forward to meeting many of you at our events around Australia and if you’re scared of walking in that room for the first time and introducing yourself to anyone – start with me. At least you know I know exactly what it feels like.
To book tickets to the Better Mentor Relationships event, go to http://www.acorn-network.com.au/events and use our exclusive discount code HELLO12
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