Cathy's blog

Sometimes you take up a challenge - and it turns out you had no idea what you were getting yourself into.

That happened when I signed up 9 weeks ago for an 8-week course & challenge to write and deliver my own TED-like virtual talk. I had no speaking or camera experience, but as we're working on creating an online course, this seemed like the perfect solution.

Of course, I learned all about choosing your topic, writing the script, preparing the delivery, practicing endlessly (I think you can actually see the path I *carved* into the floor when walking around the table repeating the lines over and over again :-)). But I also (re)learned some things I didn't expect.

Weekly deliverables

One of the challenges with BIG goals is that they can become overwhelming. When you start focusing on the magnitude of what you're trying to do - chances are that you'll get stuck, frustrated, and even give up. I've done that too many times in my life. 

But breaking things down in small, digestible pieces works like a dream. How difficult is it to just list some bullet points as an outline? One hour tops & you're done. How difficult is it to make a 2-3 min social media video? Surprisingly difficult - but if you focus on the next point I learned, you'll be alright!

You know how much I like experiments (link to #blog). Well, this course was a string of mini-experiments - which helped me to hang in there - even when things got tough.

Better done than perfect / Progress not perfection

You've heard me talk about this before. As a recovering perfectionist, I know all about wanting to get it *just right*. And when under stress, it's always tempting to revert to old habits :-). But by setting smaller subgoals, it was also easier to aim for *good enough* instead of perfect. Give it a try - it's so liberating!

Celebrating wins

How often do you stop & celebrate what you achieved? If you're anything like me, you probably don't. I tend to deliver & move on to the next task. When Helena asked us to share achievements regularly, I had to actually open my agenda and look at what I'd done the last few days, because often I couldn't even remember. It's so fun & rewarding to do this. You'll be amazed at all the small & big things you've achieved that you just took for granted.

Smile more :-)

Do you know what your voice sounds like? What you look like when you speak? I can tell you that the first time I saw myself on video, I freaked out!

Now even if you have a pretty good idea of how you think you look and speak and sound - it's also clear that other people have a different view. 

That's one of the traps we often fall into when communicating. No one else is in your head. They don't know what you think. If you look angry, that's what they'll see. 

I've learned that I really should smile more. It feels better, it looks better, and it helps me to create safety and connecting with others. And most of the time, it represents better how I really feel. Some of our habits are just that - habits. Bu-bye resting bitch face :-)

(online) Community

As a good introvert, I practice self-reliance diligently. If at all possible, I prefer solving everything in my own head.

I've taken a lot of online courses before, but this was the first time I decided to also join in on the *group* side of things.

And I was surprised how good that felt!

Sharing things (wow- I'm not alone), asking questions, getting feedback, getting smarter. 

Definitely gonna try that again.

What are you going to experiment with?