The thing I hated but needed most…

There is nothing more powerful than your self-belief.

Rolling along the dusty track into a small village on the outskirts of Kabul I could feel the atmosphere intensifying…

The track narrowed between buildings until it was barely passable.

With 9 trucks backed up, and a tight corner ahead, we’d just driven into the perfect ‘kill zone’ for an ambush.

Taking that fear and putting it aside to remain calm and in control took discipline.

At that moment I believed in my ability to get through the night.

The funny thing about fear is that it can be completely irrational…

When I started The Natural Edge I knew I needed to post videos to social media.

But, I HATED being in front of the camera.

Drama was my most dreaded lesson in school.

It just wasn’t me. I wasn’t the type of person who was comfortable being in front of a camera.

I feared what people would think of my videos and it held me back.

To get past it I had to change the way I saw myself and practice becoming that person.

Because it was a vital skill I needed if I wanted to build my business.

It took 3 years for me to get to a point of being comfortable on camera, and then another 2 years to really start enjoying it.

Was 5 years of work worth it?

Absolutely.

Takeaway Tactic

In many ways mindset development is identity development.

You can think about it like this…

Stage 1: Am I?

Decide the type of person you want to be.

I wanted to be confident making videos and to stop worrying about other people’s reactions.

At this stage self-doubt will linger as you question if you’re really capable of what you desire.

You will ask yourself “Am I really this person?”.

At present you won’t be, but you need to start planting the belief.

Keep telling yourself you can become a confident leader, you can be strong and fit, you can start your own business…

That you CAN become that person!

Stage 2: I Am?

To help the belief grow you need to prove it with evidence.

Small and consistent will ALWAYS beat trying to go fast and big at this stage.

I once tried to make a longer Youtube video and it was a DISASTER!

But making 15 second clips a few times a week felt achievable.

And each clip gradually reinforced my self-belief.

The military was no different…

Running a task force in Kabul was the result of 7 years of experience and training.

The time you spend in this stage of skill development will correlate with the size of the transformation you want to make.

You will only persist through this period of discomfort if you REALLY do want the result you have set for yourself.

My passion for The Natural Edge is what sustained me through the years of learning to become ‘camera confident’.

Stage 3: I Am!

This stage is the ‘Ah ha’ moment.

You start to feel the change.

Like tempering forged steel you feel your new identity strengthening.

Your action becomes fulfilling, motivation and momentum increase and you gain boldness & confidence.

Until it finally feels natural to say…

I AM!

A simple but powerful statement.

Because what you put after those two words will shape your reality.

Decide who you want to be. Prove it to yourself. Become that person.