Hi, I have a prompt for you.
The first prompt for this newsletter!
Today’s newsletter will be me sharing my reflection with a prompt for you.
Hi friends,
Since last year, many of you have sent me emails to say hello or ask questions. I'm grateful because I can connect with you.
Of course, I started to write for a selfish reason: to help me think. But as the subscribers of this newsletter grow, I keep thinking about how to write something relevant. I tried to make a series but felt disconnected.
So I want to try something new. I want to write my reflection once a week (maybe every Friday). Then, I also want to include a prompt. The prompt will help you to think about something, and I hope you can share it in the comment section.
Prompt 01. The fear in our head
After I quit my job, I created a cohort-based course. I started working on this in November 2022. I was excited but terrified because I didn’t know if it would work. I have a lot of doubts: Does anyone want to pay for this? Can I deliver a good experience for the cohort?
But whenever I felt this fear, I tried my best to work on one puzzle at a time. In the beginning, I started by clarifying what transformation I wanted to give to my students. Then I started to brainstorm the essential frameworks, tactics, and ideas to help students transform themselves.
I quickly realized there was a lot to prepare. The reading materials, the in-class exercise, preparing the students' platform, and so on. Another fear starts to kick in: Am I good enough? If I prepare all of this, does anyone want this? Then, I decided to test.
Before I finished the Syllabus, I announced to my audience on Instagram about this idea. Then, magically 10 people signed up. They paid. I was really grateful for them to put trust in me.
It was a total roller coaster. Sometimes, I feel confident about the course. But there are days when I struggle to ensure the students can get the point and know how to apply.
What I have learned from this experience is simple but profound:
1 - Action gives momentum. Whenever I feel confused or worried, I realize that taking action is much better. I usually write the question on the paper, structure my thinking, and set a to-do list or plan to attack it. Whenever I don’t do this, I get overwhelmed and demotivated. Taking action is indeed key in this situation.
2 - Impostor is expected. Whenever you do something new, you’ll feel the impostor. There’s no guidebook. There’s no sure way to accomplish this new thing. You’re learning as you go. So, whenever in doubt, I said to myself: Well, I’m learning, and I’ll try my best.
A prompt for you:
Go to the comment section in this blog and introduce yourself. Then, share with us the last time you have fears—or even low points or felt impostor. What are those fears or worries? If you have overcome it, what were the key actions that helped you? If you still figuring it out, what questions do you have?
If you’d like, you can post your response in the comments below or on Twitter or Instagram by tagging @buditanrim.
I hope to hear from you.
Budi
P.S. You can check the cohort-based course I’m talking about. For now it’s only for Indonesian audience. But hopefully I can open it up to english-speaking audience in the future.
hii to everyone seeing this chat. My name is Via, currently taking a gap year to learn more about design and tech. My biggest fear right now is uncertainty: (1) is it even possible to land a product design internship during the gloomy, tech winter? (2) uni things - am I able to get a scholarship to achieve my dream to study abroad?
I haven’t overcome those fears yet as it constantly resides in my mind. But some mantra and actions I tried doing are: (1) being vulnerable - as in accepting that failure is part of the process (2) being prepared - keeping my head high just in case a sudden opportunity arises (3) resilience - being adaptive once plans goes south and ability to bounce back to continue moving forward.
Those are indeed, very easy to type and say in contrary to the reality which is difficult to do and practice 😅.
Anyways, wishing everyone the best and hopefully we all can conquer our fears!
Hi Budi, I'm Amar a self-thought designer that now in 3rd years of official career as a UI/UX Designer. I'm currently working in Lithuania with American Based company and faced this fear all the time. My fear comes from several causes:
- I'm a self-thought designer, can't validate weather I'm good on this design process
- I can't speak english fluently, due to many thing in the past that make me struggle to understand it correctly
- I'm terrified to make a small mistakes. Thus, I always avoiding a meeting with stakeholders
What I did to solve this problem?
- I tried to forget about validation, as mentioned on the prompt taking action is very valuable. Whatever I thought better to do some action and you will know which things works and not.
- I start to practice with different way to get my perfect practice style. I just realize we'll never make it if avoid it.
- I eager to join at any conversation and activities. The best thing ever I got in my career is I decided to join the winter fest party. We're dance, chat, and did that's type of socialization. I felt more 'free" of that's feeling. After achieved this, I'd like to continue and exploits my weakness more.
Thanks Budi to writing this, I'm your followers since my Junior Career. More or less, you have helped me to reach this step with your thought. I wish we can meet someday! :)