FFT

When was the last time you were excited and scared to take on something new?

About a month ago I decided to start and host a podcast series for my company. Surprisingly we don't have one!

The idea has garnered support and its all very exciting!

I have zero interviewing experience and when they told me they wanted the podcast to be video and audio, I wanted to cancel the initiative.

Being new at something makes me feel very vulnerable!

Despite knowing the idea was sound, there was an awkward and uncomfortable feeling that followed the excitement which was “I sound weird and I am nowhere near as good as Shane Parrish (my podcast host hero!)".

The definition of vulnerability includes words such as:  uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.

I hit the mark on all 3.

There is only one way to get to the other side of discomfort.  You must push through.

It certainly is easier to not take on this project and put myself in this state of vulnerability.  The way I try and look at this is if I don’t take on a project for which I have no expertise then how do I continue to grow?

And if you aren’t growing, then are declining.

Brene Brown calls this “embracing the suck”.

The way to look at pushing yourself to do new things is this:  the more projects or initiatives you take on that make you uncomfortable the more you are willing to try.  You get comfortable with being uncomfortable and it gets easier to accept vulnerability.

Brown’s strategy is for embracing the suck is called FFT (F’ing First Time) and the strategy is to name the FFT because by naming it you have language to handle it.

So in my case my FFT is podcasting and I’m asking myself these questions:

“Why do I feel like don’t know what I am doing?”

“Why do I feel embarrassed by this project?”

“Who am I to think I should be running a podcast for 10,000 people?”

Yet, I also know that this is EXACTLY how I am supposed to feel – uncomfortable! And it won’t be permanent and even if it fails it doesn’t mean I suck at everything else.  Basically, I am doing a reality check.  There's no other way to get braver with our lives!

What FFT do you have in your life that you can put a name to and embrace and get comfortable with?  

Have a great weekend, Karl

When we no longer feel that discomfort of being new, of being an awkward learner, things start to shut down inside of us.  The discomfort of exploration of doing new things, of being an awkward rookie again, that’s the juice, it’s our lifeblood.  It’s the secret sauce.  Brene Brown

Get busy living or get busy dying. Shawshank Redemption Movie