Especially in the moments when you want to show up well.
Before a meeting.
Before a difficult conversation.
Before pressing send on something important.
Oscar and Pedro are giving a masterclass in calm presence here — which made me think about the tone we bring to ourselves before we step into the day. 🐾
Because many of us are not short of ability.
We are carrying an inner voice that sounds like pressure:
➡️ Don’t mess this up.
➡️ I hope I sound confident.
➡️ What if they think I should know more?
➡️ I need to prove myself.
The problem is not the sentence alone.
It is the signal it sends.
When your inner voice sounds like threat, your brain starts scanning for what might go wrong.
When your inner voice sounds steadier, it gives your attention somewhere more useful to land.
Research on distanced self-talk suggests that small shifts in language — such as using your own name, or speaking to yourself as you would to someone you care about — can help create a little more space between you and the pressure of the moment.
This matters at mid-career.
Because confidence is not built only by experience.
It is also built in the few seconds before you act.
✨ This week’s tiny Move
Before one meeting, call, or task, swap one line of self-talk.
Instead of:
“I hope I don’t get this wrong.”
Try:
“I am here to contribute one useful thing.”
Or use your own name:
“Julie, just focus on one useful contribution.”
That is not hype.
It is direction.
A small instruction your brain can listen to. 🧠
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What sentence would help you show up with steadier confidence this week?
All the best
Julie
