Write your own narrative

Your past does not define your future

Recently I went to see the musical &Juliet.  It was brilliant, they took a classic story and brought it into the 21^st century. Shakespeare’s original version concludes in tragedy, but in the musical Juliet’s fate wasn’t sealed by the author’s pen, instead they gave her the choice, they gave her a voice and the power to rewrite her own ending. Life is like a grand storybook, filled with twists and turns, triumphs and setbacks. Sometimes, we find ourselves feeling trapped within the pages of our own story, convinced that we are mere spectators rather than authors. But what if I told you that you possess the power to rewrite your own narrative? By embracing your agency and building your confidence, you can break free from the constraints of circumstance and create a life that truly resonates with your desires. Here, we explore the importance of taking charge, building confidence, and provide actionable solutions for crafting the life you deserve.

1. Acknowledge your agency: The first step towards rewriting your narrative is recognizing that you have agency. You are not a passive character in your own life; you have the ability to make choices, take action, and shape your own destiny. Believe in your skill sets and strengths and understand that external circumstances or what people have spoken about you doesn’t define your worth or determine your future. Work through an exercise of writing down and acknowledging skills that you have and would like to have. Both hard or technical skills such as programming or typing, and soft skills such as patience 😊. Then list the skills into sections of what you have and are good at, what you need to learn more of and what is a nice to have. When I was transitioning into a new role, I completed this exercise and amongst many, decided a soft skill I was good at was listening and supporting colleagues, technical skills I needed more practice in was public speaking and another technical skill that I wanted more training in is photography.  However, photography wasn’t a requirement of my role, so put that one in the ‘nice to have’ ‘hobby’ list.
2. The road ahead may seem daunting, remember it’s a journey not a destination. Taking time to reflect upon your strengths, values and aspirations can help you define where you want to head. This exercise (from above) will help you to clarify and understand who you are, what you believe and enable you to stand on a solid foundation of values. You can then align who you are with future actions. For example, if helping people is something that strums your dials and gives you a sense of fulfilment, then you should make sure that this is a part of your day-to-day role. Your unique life experiences, your wisdom, your resilience, all contribute to a robust skillset that is unique to you and is the value that you bring to a future organisation.
3. Challenge limiting beliefs. We often create self-imposed limitations by subscribing to limiting beliefs about ourselves and our abilities. This creates a self-sabotaging cycle and I encourage you to challenge and question these beliefs.  Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations that remind you of your potential and worth.  Believe that you can rewrite your narrative and create change, and gradually, your mindset will shift to support this empowering belief.
4. Keep learning. In today’s dynamic world, the continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills is more than a trend it’s a necessity. We must be agile, be prepared to continuously learn and become life-long learners and adapt to continuing changes. Artificial Intelligence has changed the world for us, and it will continue to change at a fast pace. Continuous learning means not always getting it right, embrace failure as growth. Failure is not the end but an opportunity for growth. I really like the acronym F.A.I.L. which Phil Rice suggests stands for First Attempt In Learning. Embrace the lessons and insights that failures offer and let them guide you towards a revised path. Use these experiences to build resilience, adaptability, and the determination to keep writing your narrative. Remember sometimes you need to move sideways before moving forwards.
5. Networking and support. Just like in &Juliet, Juliet had friends around her to support her in her decisions, some she had to ignore others came on board with her. The same is for yourself, you need to identify your cheering squad and surround your self with like-minded individuals, they may be friends, mentors or family who will encourage you in your endeavours. Their presence and support will fuel your confidence. Be strategic in your networking. In Teaching and Learning there is strategy used called prior learning.  This means that we have a better learning experience when we can connect new knowledge with prior or knowledge already learned. Connectivism theory (George Siemens) takes this another step and suggests that we no longer can keep up with the fast pace and experiences we need to apply knowledge to new opportunities. By networking and connecting with others we can use their knowledge and apply this to our own experiences and learning. The old adage ‘it’s not what you know it’s who you know’ is never more important.
6. Set Meaningful Goals: Setting clear and meaningful goals provides a roadmap to help you stay the course and not get distracted. Define what success means to you and break it down into smaller, actionable steps.  Celebrate each milestone achieved along the way.

Life is an ever-evolving masterpiece, and you hold the pen to rewrite your narrative. Remember, rewriting your narrative is not a one-time task but a continuous journey of self-discovery and growth. So, pick up your pen and embark on this empowering adventure, for your story is waiting to be rewritten, and you have the power to make it extraordinary.