Working up engaging content creation and putting it out there for the world to see and judge can be nerve jangling, especially in the early days of procrastination and over-thinking.
Your gut turns cartwheels. Time hangs in suspended animation. Your face goes bright red and your cheeks are burning. Your mouth feels like you’re chewing plasticine. And that’s just publishing a LinkedIn post.
You feel like you’ve trip over your words and haven’t done justice to what you want to say about your business… again.
Soul destroying, isn’t it, to watch other people shining and making an impression, while you bumble in the background?
You’ve got the goods. But, there’s a gap between you and those people you see smashing it.
It all comes down to this… They’ve got something you haven’t mastered yet. That special something is self-confidence when it comes to content creation that pops.
This needs to change. And, thankfully, it’s not as hard as you might think to start making changes, sooner rather than later preferably.
Truth Bomb: Confidence attracts audiences and paying clients and job offers. Employers and clients will choose a less competent but more confident person over a more competent but less confident person. It’s because confident content creation allows us to shine.
Compelling Content Creation Comes from Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
We’ve heard this phrase enough times over the past 18 months. So, let’s put it to practical use.
Here’s the thing… The more authentic, human and relatable your content creation is, the more it’s going to strike a chord with your target audiences.
They want YOU. Not War and Peace.
Even though you lack confidence in the content creation arena, it’s actually the perfect place for your mettle to start gathering momentum.
So, harness that dread of putting yourself out there to spur you into action, and to nudge you out of your comfort zone and into your stretch zone.
At this stage you don’t want to push yourself so hard that you end up in your panic zone, which can be just as counterproductive as your comfort zone.
To this end, think about a snappy social media post or a short form blog post for your website, just a couple of hundred words to get you off the starting blocks.
The more you step outside your comfort zone, the better you’ll feel every time you do.
Yes, it takes digging deep. But, remember, other people can hear in your voice – in your content creation – how you feel about yourself.
So, if you’re dying inside with a lack of self-confidence, the truth is that other people aren’t going to have any confidence in you either.
Paint the Things You Want to See
Growing content creation confidence doesn’t happen by trying to reinvent yourself overnight or being something you’re not. But it does require creativity on your part.
Women’s leadership speaker and LinkedIn trainer Selena Rezvani describes the ironic process theory, and how you can start to thrive and dazzle by turning this theory on its head.
The concept behind the ironic process theory is this – the more you try to suppress a thought the more it takes over everything else in your mind, like when you’re bursting and there isn’t a loo in sight.
“…when they’re repeated like a mantra, they keep you in the mindset of a victim. Victims blame, complain, make excuses, and repeat behaviour,” explains Selena. “When I was younger, I didn’t realise I had a “Victim Mindset.” (Note, I’m not talking about victims of violence. Some people are victims of violence and it is not their fault. I’m talking about people who feel like victims of circumstances that they have the power to change.)
“On the other hand, when you think with a “Creator Mindset,” you take responsibility and action. You seek solutions. You turn complaints into requests or plans. You create a new path forward.”
You CAN dictate your content creation confidence. But it requires mindset work.
So, what can you do to turbo charge your budding content creation confidence?
Practice, Practice, Practice
Like learning to play a musical instrument, content creation confidence is a skill you keep getting better at with practice.
But you need to have something to say in order to progress your content creation journey, right?
You’re far from alone if you suffer from blank page syndrome. Overthinking won’t help. So, try writing genuinely – from your heart and your perspective – about something like:-
- An industry tip
- A story about what’s going on at work
- Why you love your job or your business
- A career aspiration
And, if the thought of sharing your words strikes terror into your soul…
Truth Bomb: We all care about what we’re doing and saying more than other people care what we’re doing and saying. If we do or say something we think is disastrous, it’s often the case that nobody else even notices.
It doesn’t matter if you go a bit off topic or make a clanger of a typo. Laugh it off and get back on it. People will warm to you for your imperfections and for showing your authentic self. Because guess what? They aren’t perfect either.
In fact, they’ll admire you for getting your content creation there, making mistakes, dusting yourself off and carrying on like a pro. Win:Win.
Consistency: The Key to Unlocking Content Creation Confidence
You CAN become a content creation icon in your own sphere by developing your personality, being your genuine authentic self, being prepared and being visible.
Like anything worthwhile in life, it’s not an overnight transformation.
But you CAN grow your content creation confidence by working on your mindset and sticking consistently with it through the rewarding experiences and also the unsatisfactory experiences.
As a result, the more consistent you are, the better and quicker your results will be.
Truth Bomb: “DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. Imperfect will always come out on top, because perfect doesn’t exist.” Thanks to an amazing mentor of mine Nika Stewart, Co-Founder and CEO of Streambank Media for these delightful pearls of wisdom.
So, what are you waiting for?
Get working on your heartset and your mindset. Get affirmative. Get creative. Get practicing. Get the content creation confidence you deserve and owe to your brilliant self.
I promise you, instead of feeling like you’ve always got your back against the wall, you’ll soon realise there aren’t any bricks behind you.
You’re in the middle of the room. Owning it and smashing your content out with confidence.
Source
How to better manage helpless moments, Selena Rezvani, LinkedIn Pulse
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