It’s good to be nervous when you are doing your best work

There is always a satisfying combination of excitement and apprehension when we stretch ourselves to do something new.

Today in London is our first Extreme Business Workshop of 2020.

The material on internal low cost marketing is something with which I am more than familiar but the majority of our audience of will be owners and managers who I have never worked with before.

50 people who are going to learn how to enrol their team and their patients as their marketing engine and enjoy the same phenomenal results as my existing clients.

Last night, over dinner with Rachel Barrow, we reviewed the delegate list and I experienced a slight tinge of imposter syndrome (again).

“Will they like me?” (Still, after all these years)

“Will the content be well received?”

“Will our guest speaker go down well?”

“Will the workbooks be OK?”

“Will the venue deliver?”

“At the end of the day, will the clients be inspired and energised?”

Of course, if I didn’t feel nervous it would probably be time to call it a day – either due to exhaustion or complacency.

As I demonstrated on social media a few days ago by publishing a photo of myself on stage in 1992, I’ve been a public speaker for a long time. My initial training was in 1980.

Even so, there will be an adrenaline rush at 09:00 this morning and again at 16:30 when the job is done (and I’ll be internally hoping for a round of applause to confirm that I’ve done my job).

My unique abilities list (first compiled in 1996) says, “coach, write, speak” – so today I’m in the zone and grateful for it.

We do our best work when we are 80% confident and 20% slightly nervous.