Throw Out the Word 'Luck'
Have you ever told someone that your success was just luck? I have. The truth is, most of what we call “luck” is the result of hard work and planning. Most of us spend time planning ahead, preparing to do things, and generally working to arrange the pieces of our lives so that they fit together in a way that make sense. But when we’re asked how we did it? “Oh, it was just how it turned out,” or “I was lucky.”
Not taking credit for work and attributing our efforts to “luck” is one of the hallmarks of impostor syndrome. I’m on a journey this month to
spend time understanding how Impostor Syndrome manifests for me;
become comfortable with self-advocacy, and take credit for the effort I put into my projects; and
build my community of advocates (and people whom I advocate for)!
If you’ve attended any of my conference sessions this last year and a half, you’ll know that I talk a lot about building your community to enhance your career. As I was reading about self-advocacy for an upcoming presentation, I realized that part of what we are doing in developing our communities, is building our community of advocates.
The advocates in your community will speak up for you, as you do for them; they will tell you what they love about you; and they will tell you when you have something wrong. All of which will help you advocate for yourself. As this article from Entrepreneur Magazine says, “tend to those relationships, because they are powerful over the long haul.”
Whom have you spoken up for recently?
Who has your back?