I almost made the biggest career mistake of my entire life this year. Oh yeah – I almost blew it. I almost ruined my chance. I almost failed – it was so close. Looking back now, I can't believe how close I came to losing out on a big opportunity.

What did I do that was so horrible? That is exactly what I'll detail for you in this episode today.

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Transcript

I almost made the biggest career mistake of my entire life this year. Oh yeah – I almost blew it. I almost ruined my chance. I almost failed – it was so close. Looking back now, I can’t believe how close I came to losing out on a big opportunity.

What did I do that was so horrible? That is exactly what I’ll detail for you in this episode today.

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In some of the more recent podcast episodes, I shared that I had been going through a process and had learned so much. I had to wait for quite a while to share the information, months. And now that I know the outcome, I have to tell you – it is true, I almost made a huge career mistake, the possibly the biggest of my life.

Oh yeah – I almost blew it. I almost ruined my chance. I almost failed – it was so close. Looking back now, I can’t believe how close I came to losing out on this opportunity.

What did I do that was so horrible?

I did the absolute worst thing you can do in this situation: I almost did NOT apply.

Let me tell you about it: I knew the position would come open for about 6 months. I knew a LOT about the position, in fact, one could say that everything I have done in my career to this point literally made me the perfect person, and thereby would make me a competitive candidate, no matter who else applied. You know I spend a lot of my free time blogging, podcasting, and coaching people about their career and how to rise in organizations. So, I have a strong mindset and tons of knowledge about the process, preparation, and eventual transition into the job. I have also in a 3-year executive leadership program where I receive my own executive coaching, education in the application process and in writing the package, plus further mentorship. There is zero reason I should have hesitated I applying. Yet, I did.

I do always say that people will let a package get in the way of them applying for something. When I was young I was an enlisted Sailor in the US Navy, and I decided to “apply” to be a Naval Officer. That is one example where a very specific package is required to be submitted just so you can be considered and I have always believed that the package process is one strong filter for those programs, not because it is really that hard. It is time consuming and there is writing involved and since it is the military, there are very specific requirements and you DO get partly graded on your attention to detail. I know many Sailors who could have made great Naval Officers, but they never applied and I always suspected the package was part of the reason. It seems daunting before you get started compiling it.

Well, for my new position, the process required more than just a resume, it required essentially five (5) two-page essays substantiating my experience as it pertains to this position. 10 pages of writing, in total, to describe my life’s work, so to speak, to even put my hat in the ring for consideration. I write blog articles that are 5-page word documents all the time, once or twice a week, on weekends and evenings, without even thinking about it. I love writing, so the 10-page requirement was not a problem for me.

What, then, was holding me back?

It was limiting beliefs about myself. Yes, the me who, on the very podcast feed you are listening to now, has multiple episodes discussing self-doubt, impostor syndrome and limiting believes. I ALMOST LET MY OWN LIMITING BELIEFS HOLD ME BACK. Unbelievable, isn’t it? I’m not immune, no one is. It is the most difficult to “see” your own brain. It is so hard to realize when your own thoughts about yourself or your circumstances are the block. What was I thinking? I felt like if I would share some of this, you might recognize these moments for yourself and notice when you just need to give yourself a kick in the pants and move forward even if you might fail.

I was thinking thoughts like this:

- There will be so many other amazing people who will apply, they will have more seniority, more experience, a larger network, or more inherent authority than I do. Even though I know I have a good reputation – so do the other people, and it is highly unlikely I would be chosen.

- I am introverted, which is one of my most incredible superpowers, I know it and have always known it. Yet, I do have a belief that other people may underestimate me because of it. Therefore, would not see me ready for a position this senior.

- I could do all this writing, which is very time consuming and possibly not even get an interview. Which given how robust my life is was definitely something to consider. Eventually I overrode this thought because I decided that even if it didn’t work, I was going to learn a lot about the process which would not only help me in the future, but would help people I coach as well. One perfect example is this podcast episode. I learned and now I am sharing it with you.

Ok, so what actually happened?

You know the end of the story, I did apply and I did get enter the interview process and eventually was offered the position.

What made me finally sit down and write, how did I overcome my limiting beliefs enough to make it worth it to spend several days writing?

- It is not easy to change a belief, so that was not really it. My executive coach did a ton of coaching with me and that got me to focus on different thoughts that did fuel me and that I did believe enough to get me into action. This is one of the most powerful uses of a coach. They help you see your mind in a way that you cannot and they can help you find the thoughts that propel you forward. I do it for my clients every day and my executive coach did it for me 100%!

- All 3 of my mentors were very active in encouraging me to take risks. I think they all had certain expectations for me. That was one of the most powerful motivators. And THIS is why if YOU do not have a mentor, you should find one TODAY. We all let ourselves down in so many ways every day. It is much harder for many of us to let other people down. None of my mentors got to where they are today by remaining in their comfort zone and it was their job to push me out of my comfort zone too. I did not want any one of my mentors to ask me, after the fact, if I applied and to have to tell them “no”. Afterall – I wanted a position like the one I applied for and these three amazing people had volunteered so much of their time giving me advice and listening to me for years. FIND A MENTOR and BE A MENTOR.

- You, yes – you listening to this podcast right now, you were part of my motivation. As I mentioned earlier, even if I did not get the job, I KNEW that I would learn and grow and as a result, I would have more useful content and be a better coach for you in the future. PLUS, I had to prove that when you push past your limiting beliefs, you will amaze yourself. That is what happened for me and I believe with my whole heart that is what will happen for you too.

- Finally – I really did want this position. I had a strong belief that if I actually got the job that I have a unique set of skills and experience and vision that would make a big impact in an area that I have spent 30 years of my life focused on and care immensely about. I am a big believer that at the end of our life, we will only regret the chances we didn’t take. We will not regret active fails, when we tried very hard at something and didn’t succeed – no, those will only be great stories someday. We will only regret when we did nothing at all. I believe that 100%. So, since I knew I wanted this position, I started writing with all my heart and soul. I prepared and practiced for the interviews and I decided I was ready to play a bigger game and I went for it.

I was unsure what would happen, but I will tell you this: when I finished my package and uploaded it and submitted it. I realized that I underestimated how amazing that moment alone would feel. As I clicked submit, I felt proud that I tried and proud that I did not decide to wait for 2-3 more years until I felt more “ready”. I know now that 3 years from now, I would feel different limiting beliefs. They don’t go away, you have to manage your mind and push forward in spite of them. Just deciding to be in the arena, to be a person who is playing a bigger game was sending a signal. Even if I didn’t get the position, after the 1st interview, I was 100% sure my trajectory had been altered. It’s moments like those that are the reason you try, you apply, you push past the fear of failure and shoot for positions out of your comfort zone.

Ok, that’s my story. I was promoted to a senior level in spite of almost making the huge career mistake of telling myself NO before they could even tell me yes. Knowing what I know now, what if I hadn’t applied. Do not let this be you.

Now that you have heard my story, let’s talk about you and how you can learn from my close call, from almost tossing it all away. As you were listening, is there anything that came to your mind about your own life? When is the last time you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone? Have you ever had a moment like this before where you thought “maybe” you should try but were scared to fail? What decision did you make? Did you go for it? If so – how did it feel, how did it work out? Did you decide to play it safe? Looking back – and be honest, how do you feel about that? It’s ok – first of all I do believe that you should just make a decision and then move on, never look back once it’s done. You have to do what is right for you. BUT – what I don’t want you to do is want something SO bad and for you write a goal you are shooting for year after year and then when the moment arises in front of you to take the leap forward – for you to back away instead. Say YES and step into your future.

I have four actions I want you to take TODAY:

1) Think about your current situation and circumstances. Grab a paper or a journal and write down all the thoughts you have about where you are now compared to where you want to go. Circle anything that is a 100% fact (something you could prove in a court of law). Everything you did not circle is probably your thought and it can be changed. You can decide to think something different. What do you notice about the thoughts you see on the paper? Get a different color of pen and circle any thought that is negative and seems to be wanting to keep you small. Notice that. Even if you don’t believe the opposite of those thoughts, could you adjust them something more believably positive or at least neutral? Like, “They would never Hire me if I apply” change that to “I will learn a lot if I apply.” That is believable and will serve you much better.

2) Choose your favorite new transformed thought and write it at the top of the daily planner page every single day until you reach your goal.

3) Use that new thought and take one action that you want to do and you have been resisting because of a limiting belief.

4) Email me at [email protected] to tell me your thought and the action you took. I want to hear about how you feel and what you learned!

It feels so amazing to get a phone call that you were selected for a job you applied for, and it feels even better when it’s a big leap and out of your comfort zone. This can be you. Do not make the career mistake of telling yourself NO before anyone has the chance to tell you YES. You’ve got this. When the worst thing that will happen is you learn something new, it’s really a win-win for you. And, my friend – that is a beautiful place to be.