Something you may not know about me is that I was The UK’s Most Enterprising Student 1995.

At the end of my second year at university I completed an 8-week summer placement for a local SME. It was through the Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP) - a way to gain ‘proper’ work experience before graduating.

I then won the competition at the end - sharing the story of my experience in front of different judging panels, and ending up being presented with this trophy at a black-tie dinner.

It was a complete game changer in so many ways.

Mostly in how I thought about myself.

Before the programme I saw myself as completely unqualified.

I had waitressed through school and university to earn money to support myself and to travel, and I was doing a History degree - not a vocational or business focused field of study.

It didn’t feel like any of that was useful. I felt like I would be starting a career from scratch.

And I was underestimating myself.

I learned that:

My History degree helped me research the audience and find the story from the data.
My waitressing had given me people and communication skills, and the ability to think on my feet.
My travels had set me up to be independent, to push myself outside of my comfort zone and to know I would be OK wherever I was.

And that I didn’t actually need to know it all before I began - I could start with what I had and find ways to fill the gaps as I went.

It can be so easy to underestimate ourselves. To under value our experience and skills. To focus on what we don’t have, rather than what we do. To focus on “Why not us?”.

I see this all the time in coaching. Maybe someone is starting a new role and feeling like they don’t have what’s needed, or wanting to change career and feel they don’t have any transferable skills.

When we focus on what they are bringing with them - ask “Why me?” and answer the question wholeheartedly - everything shifts.

And after all, if we had everything we needed already we’d have nowhere to grow.

Are you underestimating yourself?

And what if you weren’t starting from scratch, just adding another layer?

Wishing you all a week of trusting in what you already have,