“You’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try.”
Ha, get it – super bold, like because it’s Super Bowl time. Oh, sometimes I just can’t help myself.
I’ll cut right to the chase. It’s February, which means many people could use a new burst of motivation, now that the shine and shimmer of the New Year has officially blended into the winter that’ll for sure be here another 6 weeks or so.
Here’s a little something I want to throw out there: When looking at what you want to accomplish or a goal you’d like to set, go bold. Go Super Bold.
What It Means to Be Super Bold
By that, I don’t mean set a goal to lose 50 pounds in a month or to run a marathon next weekend without training.
What I do mean is give yourself permission to go for something that doesn’t seem like you could do it or you thought would be cool but you could never do it…but that you might be able to and you really want to.
Some Super Bold goals will come up short.
There’s this statistic out there that women, in general, don’t apply for jobs or promotions unless they’re 100% qualified or confident they can do the job. Conversely, men, in general, are much more willing to apply for a job or promotion they’re not qualified for or may be way above their skillset.
The point of this isn’t to pit men against women, so let me stop that right there. This is an example, one of several I could share, that shows many of us (some men, some women) are afraid to go for something if we don’t feel we’ll succeed – or, worse, if we think we’re going to fail.
Super Bold Successes
When I was less than two years into my professional public relations career, I had the opportunity to join a start-up agency – not to write or do media relations, which is what I was learning to do, but as the Director of PR. That meant, in addition to writing and media relations, laying out the PR strategy for clients. Building the entire program. Eventually, managing people.
Essentially, I was being offered a job that I was in no way fully qualified for or mentally ready to take on.
But I did it. And, while I can’t say everything was 100% all the time, I did it well.
Or how about the time me, a former running hater, figured I’d try to qualify for the Boston Marathon – you know, one of the biggest running goals out there. And only after I’d run one sub-4 hour marathon (I’d need under at 3:35 to qualify).
But I did it. And, while I may have failed twice at attempting to qualify and I worked for three years to make it happen, I got that BQ.
Speaking of failures, let’s also talk about Super Bold failures. Because if you set out for greatness, you’ve got to be okay with failure, which is where I think many take the detour away from Super Bold to super safe.
Super Bold Failures
Another risky career move I made in my 20s was taking a job at a super cool start-up company in the obstacle course racing industry. Again, I wasn’t qualified for the job on paper or in real life, but I went for it.
But other Super Bold goals will be successful.
And, while we as a company had some wins and some missteps, ultimately the company failed. I failed along with it. But I learned a lot and I had a really cool experience.
On the heels of the late 20s, my running became really strong, particularly my combo of speed and endurance in the 10k distance. For several races, I set the audacious goal to win them. As in, be the first female across the finish line, regardless of age group.
And, while I did win one, ONE of those 10k races, I came in second or third in about half a dozen others. I probably had no business setting that Super Bold of a goal but, even in those losses, I ran my fastest 10k races ever.
So, next time you think you can’t go for the promotion, ask out THAT girl from the gym, squat more than your bodyweight, whatever it may be that you think you could “never do,” give yourself permission to go for it – to do something Super Bold. And be prepared to work hard and possibly fail in the process.
What’s your biggest or most Super Bold accomplishment to date? What’s your most Super Bold failure and what did you learn from it?
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