We’re on the fifth day of our month-long Career Courage Challenge! Each day, I’ll be sharing a short challenge you can take to help build your courage and your career. Plus, I’ll be taking the challenges along with you—watch for my notes in the Comments, below, as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn, so chime in!
>>>>> GET YESTERDAY’S CHALLENGE HERE
(For more on why we’re doing this Challenge, click here.)
Career Courage Challenge, Day 5:
Smile a Lot More Today
YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY:
At work, we often think we need to act serious. Intense. Composed. And that often means keeping our faces in a neutral expression or even in a tight ball, scrunched up thinking hard or worrying about what might go wrong next.
But you have a magic tool at your disposal that can change not only your mood and actions, but those of the people around you. And that’s your smile.
Today, use your courage to put a smile on your face more often—a lot more. Even if you’re a naturally happy and positive person, you’ll be surprised how often you catch yourself not smiling. A smile is a strong outward sign that others can approach you, learn from you, and be safe around you.
Extra points if you try smiling at strangers in addition to those you already know at work. Plus, on a bad day, a smile tells your body things aren’t as tough as they seem. You’ll feel better, and you might just make someone else’s day.
Don’t forget to share your experience with today’s Challenge in the Comments below! I’m sharing mine each day, too, so chime in.
Know someone who should take the challenge, too? Point them to CareerCourageChallenge.com to sign up and get each day’s challenges in their inbox!
Why a Career Courage Challenge?
Here at RedCapeRevolution.com, we’ve focused on three main things that we all need to have to soar in our careers (things we’ve learned through our research and conversations with you):
- Gaining Clarity: really seeing and understanding what’s unique and special about you; what your superpowers are and how you can bring them to work;
- Building Confidence: feeling strong and sure about who you are, and what you’re doing now and in the future, and;
- Taking Control: choosing to take action on the things you want and need in your work and life.
But in last year’s reader survey, I asked, “If you could take a superpill that would help you overcome your biggest challenge, what would that pill do?” here’s what you said:[blockquote]The pill would give me the words and courage to express to our executives how damaging these yo-yo initiatives are.
It would give me courage to ask for opportunities when I meet people.
Sometimes small setbacks throw me into doubt. The pill would make me believe in me first.[/blockquote]
So it sounds like there’s a new C emerging: courage. And I’m right there with you, because I’m seeking courage, too.
To play bigger. Serve you better. Impact more people like you. To make hard choices about who I want to be, where I want to be, how I want to spend more of my time and where I need to spend less.
That’s why I wanted to experiment with this free, 30-Day Career Courage Challenge. I’m going to push myself beyond my comfort zone, and I hope you’ll play along with me, too. I hope you’ll share your experiences in the Comments below, on Facebook or LinkedIn, or by email.
I can’t wait to grow my courage muscles with you.
My “super-pill” would enable me to communicate the difficult challenges we are facing as an entity, and what needs to be done to overcome the challenges, but to learn how to also communicate the message in a manner that encourages the hearts and minds of others.
The more I read of Teddy Roosevelt, the more I am enamored with how well he could do that in a speech. When I read his speeches (yes, I am a little weird in that respect) I can almost hear him speak the words and I am so engrossed in the words that I cannot but want to jump in and say, “Hey, I am your man! Let’s go take that hill or whatever.”
The “super-pill” would give me that gift. To communicate to others that I really can see the direction in which we need to go, that the steps we take need to be in this manner, and instill a sense of followership and trust that we go get it done.
I am looking into this and trying to figure it out better. Damn, it is hard, though. Which is why I could use a “super-pill.”
I don’t think it’s weird, Doug, to want stronger communication and motivation skills. The good news is that they’re learnable, and start with first getting in touch not just with what’s in our head, but what’s in our hearts as leaders and people. Thanks for sharing your challenge, and we’re rooting for you!
Always,
Darcy
[…] >>>>> GET YESTERDAY’S CHALLENGE HERE […]