THE BEST ADVICE

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Does this question sound like a cliché? Take a moment to think back to all the usual suspects that offer you advice. Family, friends, teachers? Even social media?

As you sift through the various pieces of advice that you have received, take a moment to consider what has actually hit home. A lot of it is logical and could have a positive impact on your life, but how much of it do we actually implement?

So often I see sound advice go in one ear and out the other and I am definitely a culprit of this. To be realistic, it would be impossible to implement all the good things we hear.

Usually the most effective advice hits you like a tonne of bricks. It inspires you to self-reflect and is potentially life changing. I’d like to share an experience where I received an amazing piece of advice which completely changed my way of thinking.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) Conference in Brisbane. I attended a workshop facilitated by Carolyn Alchin on Developing Engaging Career Development Resources?.

During morning tea, Carolyn approached me for a quick chat as she was trying to do with most participants. I remember thinking to myself ‘here we go’ -meaningless small talk coming my way. To my surprise, the conversation was quite the contrary.

I complimented Carolyn on how engaging she was and how I thoroughly enjoyed her interactive training style. But she was quick to point out that she was actually an introvert and would need quite a bit of time after the session by herself in order to recharge her batteries.

Her openness allowed me to do the same.

As a Career Coach, one of the aspects of my role that I struggle with is facilitating workshops. I absolutely hate getting up in front of people and as a result, I never put my hand up to facilitate. My nerves get the better of me which puts me off taking the plunge.

I shared my feelings with Carolyn who provided me with an analogy which completely changed my mindset on public speaking. She asked me to envisage an Olympic swimmer before a race and asked me to consider how they would be feeling. Would they be calm and relaxed? Far from it. Their nerves would be jangling and their adrenaline would be pumping. I always viewed these feelings as unpleasant.

Like me, many would view these feelings as a negative but Carolyn taught me to see things differently. She taught me to embrace the fear. That anxiousness, nerves and adrenalin is my body’s way to prepare to perform.

By taking her advice, I am now able to effectively turn negative feelings into positive ones. I now view these instincts as being there for my benefit, not detriment. Keeping in mind that too many nerves or extreme levels of anxiety can be debilitating so finding a healthy balance and adopting this mindset can enable you to do things you never dreamt of doing.

Definitely the best advice I’ve received in a long time!