“Trust your legs!” Like bambi on the ice, I stand on top of the hill with two thin skis under my feet. Ahead of me, the snow-covered slope descends via a narrow, winding path through tall pine trees. Now and then heaps of melting snow fall from the branches with a thud. The sun shining through the trees warms my face.
Curling my toes, I look for support in my shoes. The thin skis threaten to slip on the icy snow with every move. I started cross-country skiing. I love it but it's technically quite complicated. It feels a bit like getting on ice skates for the first time. I got up this hill with great difficulty. Now I am at the top of the hill and have to go down. I know that my legs know what to do, but I don't quite trust them yet.
How to trust your skills?
So many people doubt themselves. My coaching client is not sure if she should send an email to a potential employer. What if they don't think her skills are good enough?
My other coaching client wonders if he can handle that big project, while actually he knows he can. How can he continue to believe in himself?
A third client wonders if her partner and friends would still like her if she was more open about what she thinks.
Know yourself
To learn to trust yourself more, you should try to know yourself better. Know what your strengths are and think about them realistically. Try to figure out what the doubt in your mind says about you. What image that you have of yourself stands in your way?
Accept and go
Then accept your doubt or fear. Fighting it often makes it worse. Let it be, and go anyway. It is an art to find that sense of security in ourselves despite the doubt. Take that jump, dive into your goal or fly off that hill.
Focus your thoughts
And when it comes to the moment to act, focus your thoughts on what works for you. For instance, the goal you want to achieve or a phrase or symbol that helps to deal with your insecurity. You can also focus on your skills and how to put them into practice. For me, that is putting my skis parallel to the snow, keeping my hips forward and using small steps to adjust my direction as I slide down.
Down that hill through the snowy pine forest? It was magical and my legs knew exactly what to do.