The Lessons I Learned from Not Bagging on My Commitment to Do a Live Video
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Oh my gosh, I just did something that scared that crap out of me. Last week I was challenged to do my first Facebook Live video, on the theme "The Top 5 Ways Wonder Woman is a Visionary." I was TOTALLY going to bag on it.
And then I didn't. And I'm really, really glad I didn't. Here's why...
(1)I have SUCH good, and easily accessible, reasons for NOT doing things. Such as:
I don't have time
I don't understand the technology
I have nothing to say
I haven't prepared enough
It's going to suck
No one's going to show up
So, even though I've been doing work for YEARS on these inner critics, they can still live pretty close to the surface. AND the new lessons I'm learning are able to override these objections more quickly and painlessly than ever, and that's really good to know. (See an example of how below.)
(2) I still get scared. And I still worry I'm going to suck and fail and that people are going to think I suck and judge me for it. And that's OK. It's OK to feel scared, and it's likely (or definite) that some people will think I suck and will judge me, maybe even to my face.And I don't have to let that stop me.
(3) I'd been working on a JOYmail to send out to you guys this week which contained at its heart the lesson that "Good Enough" is a great target. I have to say, I thought about what I'd written A LOT as I wrestled with all of the reasons why I thought I couldn't or shouldn't attempt the video. My own argument in favor of experimenting and detaching from the outcome kept coming back to me and essentially gave me permission to just do it, to let it be not perfect, but good enough. (I'll send you that JOYmail next week so you can really get the lesson.)
So, two bonuses here: I freed myself up to do the live video AND I discovered that my own article was really, really helpful! It's really good to know that what I'm saying is actually effective...
(4)Sometimes your objections can actually be your best motivators. For example, I was worried that no one would show up to watch the live video, that I'd send out an announcement that I was going to be on Facebook talking about Wonder Woman and no one would be there and I'd feel like an idiot. And then I realized that it would be AMAZING if no one showed up! I'd feel a lot less pressure and I could just do the whole thing as a big experiment--I wouldn't have to worry about how I looked or what I said or whether it made any sense, and I could just delete it once it was over!
So I didn't send out any announcement and I just secretly hopped on and started talking. It made it so much easier!
(5) I think the thing that really made me pull the trigger was the fact that I'd committed to other people, in writing, that I'd do it this week. There have been plenty of things in my life that I've committed to doing, in writing, to other people, and not done, but for some reason I really, REALLY wanted to keep my word on this one. It may have to do with the fact that I was finally ready to break through to another level of living, of showing up, of creating what I really want, and I realized that that kind of change requires commitment and ACTION.
The time has come when the fact that I want to be that person who does what she says she's going to do is stronger than my desire to be the person who finds perfectly good excuses to stay where she is. I guess what I'm really saying is that I want to be more like Wonder Woman : ) And, while we know Wonder Woman's road isn't always easy, she sure as hell takes action and follows her heart.
And, what do you know, it turns out that I really like doing Facebook Live! It's FUN!! So much fun, in fact, that you can tune in next week to discover the Top 5 Ways Moana is a Visionary. And, if you're lucky, I'll sing...
JOY!!!