It's Okay to be a Beginner
In the microwave society we now live in which tends to mainly display an individual's highlight reel it is so easy to think people "woke up like this". It often seems like most people have had it all together for a really long time. (We're assuming they have it all together now.)
We see the CEOs, Chief Counsels, thriving entrepreneurs, Beyonce, our friends who seem to have "made it" (what does that mean? Anyone?) and we often stop right there. We honor them and the level they ascended to (goals they achieved), but often we forget that at one point they were beginners too. A CEO had an entry level job, the Chief Counsel had to apply to law school, an Forbes listed entrepreneur had to first have an idea and Beyonce was in Girl's Tyme waaaaay before she went solo.
As a person who is both ambitious and a beginner, I see how far I want to go. A few months back, a colleague described me as a "developing guru". It affirmed me to know a seasoned veteran saw potential in me. It also reminded me that I was on the right track and that it takes time and hard work to achieve the goals I have.
This is a simple reminder that it is ok to be beginners. Here are 10 things, I've learned it's ok for beginners (and anyone, really) to do.
1. Ask for help
We were not meant to do life on our own. At some point in time we all need support, guidance, encouragement (that's what I'm here for :-) etc. Be vocal about it. You're not alone.
2. Try new things
Hey! If you don't like it, don't do it again. It's not that big of a deal.
3. Pivot
Sometimes we need to gently let go of one dream in pursuit of something else. People do it all the time. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind or determining something else is better for you.
4. Have multiple passions
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" sometimes sounds like you have to choose one thing. What if you don't want to be or do just one thing? That's ok too! You might have to focus on one thing at a time to make significant progress, but you can definitely have multiple passions.
5. Do things differently than your parents
If you're like me, you love your parents and want to make them proud. You find them to be wise and frequently go to them for advice (that's all good and fine). I will never forget a manager's response when I told her what my mother said... it was something to the tune of you have to remember her advice is coming from a 50 year old perspective (at the time I was 19). It's ok to be and want different than our parents.
6. Define success for yourself
Repeatedly, for many of us success to others looks differently than success to us. Good news is, we can define success! So pull out your journal and get to writing.
7. Create your road map/own model/
I've always been one to observe. I observe those I know and others from afar. I love to take notes on things I want to emulate and other things I don't. For a while, when I would see people doing what I aspired to do, I asked them about their path getting there. Sometimes it is super helpful for example, to know and understand how someone studied for and passed the Bar.
Other times, I've found that I am in uncharted territory. The very fact that it is me on this journey changes the calculation. I do not want us as individuals to get stuck doing things the way other people did just because that's all we see. If it serves us, great. If not, create your own road map. Be your own model.
8. Be yourself
This goes without saying, but I said it (smile). It's so much harder to pretend to be someone else. Embrace what makes you who you are. It takes the exact genetic composition, environmental nurture and life experiences you have to do something great.
9. Take time to figure out who you really are and what you really want
This is probably a lifelong assignment because we'll change and want different things over time. It's worth the reflection.
10. It's ok to not have it all figured out
Who are we kidding? God is the only one who has it all figured out, so why stress it.