Your Permission Slip to BE YOU and not fit in for career growth

Many years ago, I had a dream. A dream of being a Corporate Consultant and having meaningful and transformational corporate engagements. And so I started looking at Consultant profiles and websites to explore the different avenues. I had cold feet looking at these consultants wearing tailored blazers and sharp make up. As the number of consultants I looked up, my confidence started dwindling because I did not have the typical consultant look. Neither am I comfortable in blazers nor am I a make up person.

I felt this sudden huge baggage of fitting in to be accepted. And I let my dream go because blazers felt heavy and uncomfortable. I told myself I am not ready yet. I had this inhibitor of being judged by others. I had the inhibtor of unworthiness. Very typical gender inhibitors many women exhibit.

A year later, I had this extreme suffocation of status quo. I wanted to go for my dream. But the reality still stood the same. I now was at a stage though where staying at the same place was not an option. So I began my gender inhibtor to gender enhancer journey.

Here are some questions I started asking myself,
“Does my attire determine what I have to offer?”
"If I show up in what I am comfortable with wouldn’t that actually enhance my performance?”
“Why am I projecting the obligation of ‘looking a certain way in order to be accepted’ as a belief?”

This was the beginning of the transformation journey. Three months later I landed my first corporate engagement gig and I went in there wearing a salwar kurti and zero make up. I was me. I owned that room being me.

Why is our first instinct to fit in?
Fitting in is our survival instinct. By fitting in, humans can access the support and cooperation of fellow humans, towards their survival as individuals. It is a primal subconscious belief system. And so our very first response is to fit in.

You know what? You don’t need to fit in to grow in your career. Don’t take me wrong here. If you love make up and tailored blazers, go my woman own it like no one else. If this is not you, here are some pointers for you to start your journey towards being comfortable in not fitting in -

Get comfortable being different
My mantra is simple now. If my being different is not dangerous to me or anyone, I am me. My nervous system is calm and composed because I train my brain in understanding there is no danger in who I am being. Even if it means different.

Your challenge: How can you give evidence to your brain convincing being different

Know yourself
When you really know who you are, it does not matter what the world thinks or perceives about you. If you have not figured that out yet, then let’s play together. Hit reply to know more about how my expertise can help you to unfold your known and unknown gifts.

Your challenge: As a starter, make a list of things about you, you are afraid to own in public and why?

Be the permission slip
When you will embrace your uniqueness at work place and show up as you, you actually will give the permisison slip for other women to be them. Imagine the ripple effect it will create inside workplaces.

Your challenge: If you decide to not fit in, what would be small step in your work day today to be a permission slip for others?

Let my story be your permission slip to be who you are at workplace. Remember when your brain starts feeling safe in standing out, again, again and again, it evidences your brain to let go of the fear.

Be you. Stand out. Do not fit in if it is not you.

And hit reply to share your story and what happened next after you accepted the challenge.

Much Love,
Pradnya

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