How to Be Bold in your Career and Life

“Where do you want to go?” 

For me, that’s a question that will live on forever in my mind. If you’re familiar with my brand, you might already know it’s the very last question my mother posed to me. For years, I’ve continued to ask myself this rousing question. I encourage you to do the same - you’ll see that it will help you find your purpose and passion in life. If you find you’re unable to come up with the answer, let your soul be your compass and guide. 

It’s easy to daydream and ponder about the destinations you’d like to reach, the goals you’d love to achieve and the visions you want to see come to fruition. The hard part is making them happen. Looking at this another way, the answer to where you want to go is your True North. If you’re not following your True North, then you’re out of alignment. 

How can we then take steps to make sure we’re in alignment? 

My advice is to be BOLD – in your ideas and your actions. When you do apply this four-letter word to your life, take into consideration that it means more than risk-taking bravery. It isn’t about attention-seeking either. You can perform acts of boldness daily without anyone taking notice. 

To give you a great example, let me show you how to be bold in your career.

Go after it and start. 

You might have heard the tale of the man who complains bitterly about never winning the lottery, yet he’s never purchased a ticket a day in his life. Too often we find ourselves in a similar situation. Remember that your dreams don’t work if you don’t. Don’t get caught up in excuses. They’re nothing more than distractions and they pull you out of alignment from the beginning.

Done is better than perfect. 

To be bold means having no fear of imperfection. You will edit, modify and tweak your projects, goals, and career numerous times over the course of time.  It is better to do it along the way versus being a perfectionist and never starting because you are trying to obtain a level of perfection before releasing your vision to the world.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. 

Abandoning perfection is a great transition to this point. Mistakes shed light on what you don’t want, and where you need to pivot and re-align. Never take them for granted. It’s important that we learn from them and squeeze every last lesson out of them. Let your mistakes be your lifelong guru.

Have mentors. 

It doesn’t have to be a one-on-one relationship. Mentorship can come in the form of reading biographies, memoirs, and business books as well as listening to podcasts, watching TED Talks, and even talking to friends and family. There is so much free mentorship out there. Take advantage of the “virtual” mentors and the people around you.

Ask questions and take notes. 

Being bold means being willing to learn and refine the areas you are not a pro. Keep a notebook/journal with you at all times and be an avid note-taker. You never know when an idea might strike you or when the solution to a problem may present itself. 

Make friends and network! 

Fancy degrees and being book smart is great, but they are only a small piece of the pie when it comes to business. Relationships are everything. This means expressing authentic interest in your friends’ creative pursuits and following up with people you met recently. You never know who might be your next collaborator.

Take your boldness beyond actions and decision-making. 

It’s about having the mentality of acceptance. Being bold means recognizing your flaws, not just your strengths. Those who take risks understand failure is a very real possibility and that there’s value in learning from what went wrong. 

There’s also the false concept that being bold means acting rash and careless. Those in positions of leadership never roll the dice hoping luck is on their side. Before putting everything on the line, they’re applying their knowledge before taking action. They’re looking at things from a logical standpoint and they’re weighing their options. 

So, what does this all mean?

Boldness is something we all have the ability to practice. You don’t need to become a leader, or already hold an important title or a position of power. It’s the self-awareness that comes from within. 

You can choose to apply my tips above to your own career or another part of your life. What’s most important is that you understand the true meaning of what it is to be bold. It’s more than the act of putting yourself out there. You can’t have the expectation that it will lead you to success either. What boldness will do is help you reach your True North and your goals. If there’s one quality to possess on your journey moving forward, boldness is an admirable one to have.

With all my soul,