Are You Dreaming Big Enough?

A former colleague of mine has a wonderfully talented daughter. Not only is she a phenomenal student, but she’s also an incredibly gifted singer. When she was preparing to audition for a performance in front of her entire school, her mother asked her a question we’ve all been asked before: “Are you nervous?” Her response was profound: “If you’re not nervous, you’re not dreaming big enough.”

What’s possibly more profound is the lesson we can learn from this 11-year-old’s elegant choice of words.

Are you trying to skimp on success?

One of the first things I felt when hearing her comment was how unprepared for success many of us are, myself included. In order for you to be nervous, you need to be working toward a goal. Whether that’s delivering a presentation to a prospect, performing in front of an audience, or making a call to a person you’ve never met, you’re bound to be apprehensive. A majority of the time, I believe this stems from not believing we’re capable of achievement. In our own heads, we devise a system of thoughts that prevents us from taking incremental steps toward accomplishing our objective. Identifying and removing these internal hurdles can dramatically increase our chances of success.

Staying in the positive lane

Many of those who are going into an uncertain situation often think of the following questions:
What if I play the wrong note, say the wrong thing, or stumble?

Did I prepare enough?

What if they don’t like me?

These questions, as well as some of the others you may have thought of, have one thing in common: negativity.

As Carmine Gallo describes in his Forbes article, reframing your negative thoughts to positive internal observations can greatly increase your performance. In addition, practicing—both mentally and physically—can also help reduce the anxiety of new circumstances.

So, rather than telling yourself that you can’t, start encouraging yourself to diminish that nervous feeling.

Whether you’re presenting your product or service to a prospective client, performing in front of an intimidating audience, or asking for approval of a new endeavor, remember to dream big. As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

If an 11-year-old recognizes the value in pushing through her initial fears, then I’m confident you can overcome your next obstacle.

By Mike Stoupa, Tourism Sales Specialist for Visit Prince William, Virginia