I am so bad at just saying yes.
I really am! My imposter brain takes over and says there is no way I can do that job.
I am not up to it! I have only got to where I am by faking it! No one has found out yet!
But here I am – I am still afraid to say “yes”.
However, I have worked with a lot of brilliant and fantastic people.
One of these amazing people I came across early in my career was a doctor named Tony.
Thankfully he was my colleague on my first day on the wards. By some good fortune he knew what he was doing! He taught me how to request blood tests, where to get X-rays and how to generally get organised day to day when the workload is never-ending. It was clear from my first meeting that he was no ordinary doctor.
He was looking for opportunities to make a career in medicine for himself that was satisfying and novel. He was very open about this and I was fascinated. We chatted about setting up companies and innovative areas that he was passionate about. Basically he was not going to be “just another doctor”. He was going to fashion his own path.
I thought he was a bit mad!
After all, why give up the stability of hospital medicine or General Practice and go rogue? Going it alone means it could all go wrong. It could mean a lot of stress and hard work (he always worked hard). Making his career his own could also mean a fulfilling work life and enjoying everyday. I was hooked! It made me think though, why I was not doing the same.
Being too Scared
I was too scared to think “outside the box”. General Practice was all I ever wanted to do, so for me, I needed to get the relevant experience and get the qualifications. My career pathway was set. I was happy to just keep on that path. To suddenly be shown what other riches may be out there waiting for me, was almost too much.
I asked Tony “so how do you ever come across these opportunities?”. To which he simply said “I just say yes”.
What an answer!
I started saying yes!
By saying yes (and thanks to Tony) I have become a doctor, GP, GP Trainer, Training Course Organiser, completed an MSc and became FRCGP. I also became a wife, mother, cross-fitter (for a time), weightlifter, black belt and now an Executive Coach.
Many of the things I have said “yes” to, have opened the door to yet more opportunities.
If I never said yes, I may well have become a GP and a wife and mother but all those enriching (and sometimes scary) experiences I would never have had. I would wager that I am a better GP, wife mother and now coach because of all these experiences.
Why are you not just saying yes?
What is stopping you saying yes to something? Do you have a yearning to do something different? Is your soul trying to tell you something that you need to change or work towards? What experiences and opportunities do you want to say yes to, but are too scared? Is there a Tony on your life showing you a different way?
If you would like to come and explore what you can do and want to do come and have a discussion with me at The Professionals Coach I can help you embrace these opportunities and say “yes!” Who knows where that will take you.
