When you say, “I am worthy” do you believe it?
For many years, I didn’t (more on that in a bit).
Here’s a secret: Everyone experiences self-doubt when it comes to feeling worthy. Many top performers in every industry have admitted experiencing some form of imposter syndrome. Some famous examples include Tom Hanks, Lady Gaga, Sheryl Sandberg, and Howard Schultz.
Every time we move to a new level, we feel as though we’re not prepared or qualified to be there. It’s a very common feeling.
So what does worthiness mean, anyway? The dictionary tells us it’s, “The quality of being good enough; suitability. And, the quality of deserving attention or respect.”
Is that aligned with what you think it to be?
Briefly, I’ve enjoyed success throughout my life. I was a top 100 junior tennis player who went on to play division 1. Today, I’ve been named to Investopedia’s list of the top 100 financial advisors in the country many years in a row.
For a long time, I knew the kind of work I wanted to be doing, but I wasn’t yet doing it. At that time, I felt unworthy.
I started feeling worthy after I had been doing what I wanted for a little while.
For me, that doing part was a really important part.
If all you ever do is sit around wanting or wishing to be doing something, you’ll never feel worthy. Once you start doing the work you want to do, feelings of worthiness will follow.
My goal is to help you to confidently say, “I am worthy.”
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s get started.
What do you want?
The only way to live how you want is to know how you want to live. You’re reading this, so I imagine there’s something you’re wanting or feeling called to do. Let’s get crystal clear on what that is and how it fits into your life.
Odds are, you intellectually know how important goal setting is. But when was the last time you sat down and wrote them out? It took me until I was in my mid-30s to actually do this.
I think about goal setting in six key areas:
The more clarity you can get with the life you want, the greater your chances of making it happen. To help you get clear on what you want, you can access our Goals course for free.
What do you believe?
How you look at something makes all the difference. It’s common for two people to do the same thing, and have completely different experiences. If you think the world is a zero-sum game with finite resources, you’ll probably go through life with a scarcity mindset. The opposite is to see the world as abundant, with enough resources for everyone to enjoy success.
I vote for abundance.
Our values are the lenses through which we see the world. They help us to make decisions on how to allocate our most important resources of time, attention, and money. Someone who deeply values time is less apt to waste it.
I don’t think there’s ever been a more important time to be crystal clear in what we value. To help you get clear on yours, you can access our Values course for free.
What do you do?
Teddy Roosevelt famously said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
I love that quote. What do you think about it?
So what work are you interested in doing? What impact do you want to have?
I mentioned at the beginning how doing the work I felt called to do was when I began feeling worthy. While I’ve been working in personal finance for my entire career, I didn’t feel I was doing the work I wanted to do until 15 years in. It manifested for me when I started writing. I read the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and it inspired me to start journaling.
It was the process of thinking and writing that helped me to unlock what I believe my purpose to be. In the next section, you’ll learn about the importance of understanding how you like to learn. Whether you feel like you’re a writer or not, I can’t encourage journaling enough.
If you’re already doing the work you want to be doing, great! But what if you’re not? How can you move towards doing what you want to be doing?
Carve out as much time as you can everyday, even if it’s just an hour, and start doing what you feel drawn to. There’s no shortcut to this. You need to take consistent action and be patient.
Advice from Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker is considered to be the Founder of modern management. In his book Managing Oneself, he lays out a series of questions I believe can help you solidify the work you’re interested in doing.
What are my strengths?
Drucker believed time was better spent on improving strengths than fixing weaknesses. He believed in the power of feedback to help with this process. As you’re working to discover and improve your strengths, make sure you’re open to feedback from people you respect.
How do I work?
Drucker emphasizes the importance of understanding your preferred learning style. Do you learn best by writing, reading, or listening? Do you prefer to work alone, or as part of a team?
Understanding how you best consume information combined with a commitment to lifelong learning will position you for success in Drucker’s eyes.
What are my values?
Dovetailing on our earlier conversation about values, Drucker reinforces the importance of doing work that’s aligned with your core values.
What should I contribute?
Understanding the work you want to be doing is critical. If you’re an entrepreneur, this seems obvious. If you’re working within a larger organization, it’s still important for you to be doing the work you feel called to do. The more you understand what that is, the better your chances of being able to articulate and advocate your desire for doing it.
Making it real in your life
You’ve thought through what you want. You’ve clarified your values. You know the work you want to do. Time to take action.
But what will people think?
Whenever we make changes, we’re going to encounter resistance. You’re going to get it from external sources like family and friends, and you’ll get it from inside in the form of imposter syndrome and feelings of unworthiness.
Are you experiencing any apprehension? It’s very natural. Go through these questions:
Resources mentioned
The sooner you can start doing the work you feel called to do, the sooner you’re going to feel worthy. I want that for you ASAP because you are worthy.
If you’d like some additional support, jump on a no-cost call with one of our coaches.
Success and worthiness is available to you, go get it.
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