It’s not easy to say the French word for clock. Horloge. Un horloge. To get it right, you have to growl that middle “r”. Horgrrrloge. Not easy for us English, though the Scots can probably give it a much better shot.Last week I was in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in West Africa, running a training course. It was an intense five-day experience, made all the more challenging by the fact that it was all conducted in French. I speak good French, having studied at a French school of engineering 20 years ago, but it’s well over 15 years since I worked in a French-speaking environment.
The course went well; the participants were delighted with what they learnt and enjoyed the experience of learning. But on the first morning, I was sometimes trailing off mid-sentence, unable to find the words to finish. More worrying, some of my words were getting stuck in my throat. Anything that had one of those “r”s in it was particularly problematic. I found myself becoming self-conscious and struggling with even the most basic words.
By the final day on Friday though I was perfectly at ease having a conversation with the group in French. I was particularly pleased with an off-the-cuff revision exercise we did just before lunch when I led the participants through a review of all they’d learnt in the pervious four days. I growled my “r”s beautifully.
I had learnt a handful of new words during the week, but most of the words I used in this impromptu revision exercise had already been there in my brain on the Monday morning, and long before. What happened as my confidence grew was that I was able to access them with greater ease.
In my work I meet many who struggle with self-belief. They are often very talented, but fail to fulfil their potential as a result of giving themselves the wrong sorts of messages. They lack the confidence to bring out and use all their talents. Deep down they know all the words. They can growl their “r”s, but they don’t believe they can.
So here’s how to draw on all those deep reservoirs of talent within you, and use your skills to the full:
1. Relax
There is a place for stress and adrenaline, but for me, being relaxed is crucial to performing well. To help me to relax, I find it helpful to concentrate on my breathing, making the out breath longer than the breath in. I also smile and make sure my shoulders and back are loose.
2. Use your imagination
Most of us have extraordinary imaginations. It shocks me when people recount in vivid detail how badly they imagine a situation is likely to turn out. They project themselves forward into the future, imagine others’ reactions and have fully blown conversations with them in their head. If this is you, stop! Instead of imagining things going badly, imagine instead things going well. See yourself finding the right words. Imagine others reacting positively to you. Use all the technicolour glory of your mind’s eye to see yourself succeeding.
3. Prepare
Preparation is everything. Positive thinking will only get you so far; you have to know what you are doing. Last week I went to great lengths to make sure I knew the course. I practised what I was going to say. All of the great performers will tell you that their success is down to self-belief, with a lot of hard work and preparation.
4. Stretch yourself
Standing up in front of a group running a training course may not be everybody’s idea of fun. But using your skills and talents to the full is intensely satisfying. Getting good at something, learning to master it, is vital to well-being and a key component of positive mental health. What challenges can you give yourself in the weeks ahead that will allow you to shine?
5. Give yourself the right messages
Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”. Make sure you tell yourself that you can do it. Even if it’s outlandish, dare to tell yourself you can and will succeed.
I wish you success with your ventures. May you choose to do things that stretch you, that allow you to express more of the talents you have within you. Let your light shine. And growl those “r”s!
