Growing Your Business: 7 Tips to Gracefully Manage the Awkward Stage

When you first learn a new skill, what does it feel like? Can you remember? Are you like a duck that on the surface of the water appears unruffled but who is paddling away furiously underwater? We will take a further look at this with a "human" example. When you are first learning a new dance - or move - your steps feel awkward, as if your brain is not in synch with your body. You use steps that are either too big or too small; you feel self-conscious and uncomfortable; and, you may even step on other people's toes. It is like you have not yet grown into your bigger "feet"; you are still adjusting to the new dance moves. Compare your dancing experience to getting known in your area of expertise, target market, or company that you work for. This process typically entails becoming (more) visible or assuming greater responsibility, and as a prerequisite, stretching who you are being and increasing your sphere of influence. While this change can expose you to a greater number and/or variety of professional opportunities, it also requires getting comfortable with being emotionally vulnerable. And being vulnerable is not easy, is it? Yet a stage of awkwardness - of uncertainty and vulnerability - must be passed by all of us before mastery sets in. How can you effectively grow your business or into your desired position so that it is not too stressful? Take a look at the tips provided below, and Type A personalities, pay extra attention. 7 Tips for Easing into Awkwardness: 1. Make a commitment to go deeper into your area of expertise, target market, and relationship with yourself and others. 2. Every day, practice being in your Courage (not Comfort) Zone. 3. Be okay with the fact that your moves in the beginning will be more awkward than graceful. 4. Develop a sense of urgency with what needs to be done while ensuring that you stay focused on your intent and Less Effort, More Ease. 5. Build regular breaks of diversion into your schedule so that you can sustain your momentum. 6. Ask others to be supportive and gentle with you as you are moving into your new "place". 7. Trust that the knowledge, wisdom, tools and resources will come to you exactly when you need them if you ask for inspiration and focus your attention (lightly, so that your energy is still expansive instead of constricting) on this request. Now, transform the above tips into habits and ground them into your everyday reality, for a minimum of 30 consecutive days. By then, a new neural pathway will have been created in your brain and the habit will become automatic - like the figure skater who does her figures or the basketball player who shoots hoops every day.