A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Practical Inspiration author Louise Wiles for the Extraordinary Business Book Club podcast. Louise was one of the winners of the first 10-day Business Book Proposal Challenge back in June 2016, but she revealed in the interview that she nearly didn’t send it in at all, even though she’d done all the hard work of putting the proposal together over the 10 days.
I remember Sunday evening I sat down, I thought, “I haven’t sent it in. Am I going to send it in? Oh, I’m not sure.” And my husband was around, and I said, “Look, I’ve done this, and I’m really not sure about it,” and gave it to him. He is my worst critic, he really is. But he’s also a very good at looking at stuff, and he looked at it, made a few suggestions and went, “Yeah, that’s really convincing. Send it in.” So I did and thought nothing more of it until I saw your email… I just didn’t think there was any chance that we would win.
Which I thought was hilarious. I mean, what a great opportunity, the chance to win a publishing deal, why WOULDN’T you submit it? And of course Thriving Abroad is now published, and working hard for her business.
And then I was nominated for an award, and invited to complete a form to tell the judges about my business. I must have carried that simple job over to the bottom of dozens of to-do lists, and somehow it never got done. And then it was too late, and I took it off the to-do list with a mix of relief and annoyance. Until I had an email saying that the date for applications had been extended, and I thought, ‘Screw it, let’s do it,’ and banged out the application in approximately 5 minutes flat. And, like Louise, thought nothing more of it.
Until I had an email yesterday afternoon that read: ‘The initial judging of the Forward Ladies National Awards is now complete. The judging has been extremely difficult with exceptional applications being submitted. I am delighted to announce you have been shortlisted as a regional finalists! Congratulations!’
Which is a lovely thing to read, and at the very least means a great day out with inspiring, interesting company, a nice lunch and a glass of bubbly, and the excuse to buy a new frock. And I do realize that’s probably all it means but hey, if I hadn’t finally submitted that form it’d be someone else enjoying it.
What IS that thing in our heads that mumbles: ‘Don’t bother, there’s no point, who do you think you are, you haven’t got a chance, you’ll just embarrass yourself….’?
Until I find out how to switch it off, I’m going to practise my ‘Screw it, let’s do it’ attitude. And I suggest you do the same. Because who knows what other amazing things it’s cheated us of, and will carry on cheating us of if we let it?