The Mirror of Change: Reflecting on Personal Progress
As introverts, our ever-evolving identities are crafted by embracing change and introspection, uncovering the transformative power of quiet self-improvement, and the constant challenges to our mental well-being.
Contrary to popular belief, introversion is not always a handicap. It has inherent strengths, such as deep thinking and a strong focus. These can be leveraged for personal and professional growth; the trick is to recognise them for the strengths they are.
My AI assistant suggests outlines, topics, or subtleties I hadn’t considered. The actual writing is all human me. The assistant also advises me when I’m being boring if I choose to listen.
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An Unpleasant Realisation
I review my company website periodically as is standard practice, but this time, I realised that I hadn’t considered the content’s substance before. I had assumed that all was in order, that all was as it should be. This time, I actually read and processed the content with a healthy amount of open-mindedness.
I found that the market to which I had naively targeted the site a year ago was non-existent. While, perhaps, the idea was sound, the chances of attracting potential clients were as close to zero as to be indistinguishable from extreme unlikelihood.
The realisation pushed me into a deep fugue for a few days. But I came out of it with renewed determination to rework and pivot. The only remaining problem is, pivot to what? More on that in a future newsletter.
Balancing Solitude and Growth
The temptation to withdraw into oneself needs to be allowed a certain degree of freedom but must also be controlled. Otherwise, we not only lose ground in our relentless journey to self-improvement but also face the danger of submerging ourselves in multiple protective layers that could undo all of our years of progress.
Perhaps you are aware of the expression, “Familiarity breeds contempt”. It was going to be the basis of this week’s article, but I decided that writing an entire piece based on this concept would likely be self-defeating and could only lead to negativity.
It summarises how I feel I am treated and disrespected occasionally in my professional life. It is a real problem, but if I allowed myself to spend several hours writing about it, it would not be helpful. We introverts will often feel unfairly targeted, but to allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity is the worst course of action we could take.
The Introvert’s Conundrum: Understanding Our Introverted Selves
I used to envy extroverts, the way everything seems to come to them so easily. Over the years of experience and acceptance of my mental limitations, I’ve learned to recognise that life isn’t always a bed of roses for extroverts, either.
It’s enough that we recognise who we are and learn to profit from our strengths while defending our weaknesses. Our greatest challenge is balancing our Professional Growth versus our Personal Comfort. To attain meaningful professional advancement, we must push ourselves to leave behind the comfort of our introverted lives.
On a recent podcast by a successful and introverted author, she said something that struck a chord. To grow professionally and creatively, we must force ourselves to leave our comfort zones, something I’ve written about in the past. The difference was that she actively planned to confront this mental barrier regularly. We can do the same.
Obsessive Professionalism: An Introvert’s Odyssey
Think of something you would give as wide a berth as possible in normal circumstances. Personally, this would be cold calling, either by phone or, even worse, in person. I’ll start by pencilling into my planning once a month an appointment to pitch myself and the services I provide to a potential customer.
This will be extremely difficult for me, but I know that to grow, I must push myself to do it. All I have to do is prepare several good elevator pitches. ChatGPT will help me here. Then, identify the targeted person’s contact details. By limiting this uncomfortable level of personal exposure to once every four weeks or so, the majority of my time can be spent comfortably resting and recharging.
Adapting to change is, perhaps, the most common scenario that we have to deal with, made worse when the change is unexpected or unforeseen. My tried and tested strategy for dealing with change is to embrace it, no matter how uncomfortable it may make me feel. Encompassing the change into my comfortable and safe corner is initially disruptive, but it’ll quickly become a part of the scenery.
Strategies That Work: Practical Tips for the Introverted Professional
Of the many tactics I’ve developed over my sixty years of introversion, several have become fundamental to the personality I am today. They can be broken down into five main areas, although I must emphasise that should you have asked me a year ago or ask my future self a year from now, they may be slightly different. They are constantly changing methods, evolving as the need for change arises.
The first and most important is also the one constant among the five. That is self-awareness, where we stress the importance of self-reflection in understanding and accepting one’s introversion. The ability to stand back and observe our reactions impersonally does not come easy. It is rarely, if ever, something we can switch on in the heat of the moment. But later, in a moment of calm, taking the time to self-reflect is a superpower we can use to handle things better the next time.
Breaking Barriers: Never-ending Mindset Adventures
Networking for professional development is one area that stretches our comfort to the breaking point. To get a handle on this, we need to apply ourselves to the task when we are ready, on our terms, in other words. This relates to the planning for leaving the comfort zone mentioned in the previous section.
Partly related to networking is improving our communication skills. I have an example from a recent personal experience; I realised that my insecurities stemming from my introverted character sometimes cause me to jump to, sometimes, illogical conclusions. This comes out in a seemingly panicked stream of babble. It isn’t very comfortable when I think about it, but it’s the source of a lesson in what not to do. Now that I know the tendency, I can do something about it.
The last two strategies are related and have come to light recently. Identifying when to pivot should be something we should look at with an open mind. Think about trying a new direction or learning a new skill. We must review the validity or the level of improvement critically, which should be part of the regular built-in process. It’s counterproductive to waste months pushing in a direction that yields little or no results.
This brings me to the last point: having the courage to pivot. No matter how much you want to succeed in a personal or professional goal, there may come a time when you must recognise that things are not working out. Take a deep breath, think about the difficult-to-attain goal, and decide if you want it enough to keep trying. If there are any doubts at all, then stop, turn around, and start again in a new direction. There is no shame in changing one’s priorities.
The Path Forward: A Continuous Journey of Self-Improvement
The path is never straightforward; there are always blind alleys to navigate, and wrong turns to backtrack. Often, it feels like we are taking three steps forward but two steps back. It can and will be frustrating at times. Overall, however, we do make progress towards our life goals. True mental strength comes from what we learn from our errors and failures; we know who we are, our limitations, and how to do things better. Every day is a new challenge.
Maintaining a realistic balance between work demands and our need for solitude is especially important for introverts, but even the most extrovert of extroverts also needs to recognise their limitations. This doesn’t mean that we should avoid pushing ourselves or reaching for the difficult to attain life goals; it means that we all have the responsibility to take care of ourselves first and foremost.
We must manage our energy and be aware of pushing ourselves too far. Stand back, take a breather, spend time recharging. For me, this recharge time is reading a good book and writing, allowing me to escape from daily responsibilities and find solitude. You may binge-watch a streaming series, immerse yourself in cooking or baking, or spend a day gardening. Anything that gives you pleasure and allows your mind to regenerate.
Physically Tired, Mentally Wired: Exercise, Meditation, and Creativity
The journey of self-improvement as an introvert is never simple; it does mean embracing one’s true self while pursuing professional and personal growth. For the introverts reading this, be sure to view your introversion not as a hindrance but a powerful tool in your self-improvement arsenal.
Final Thoughts
I write these newsletters from the heart while hopefully encouraging readers to know that, no matter how dark things may seem, they are not alone in their struggles. I only edit lightly before publishing, which keeps the tone genuine and reflects who I am.
Our world is not friendly; we only have to glance at the news occasionally to see how awful it can be. But that doesn’t mean that the world is full of awful people. Most of us are kind and caring, not only for our nearest and dearest but also for strangers.
Don’t lose heart, keep caring, and keep pushing yourself. But not too hard; burnouts are never pleasant.
Your Thoughts
I would love to hear from you if you read this far. Why not share your own stories of personal growth or strategies for navigating introversion? I’m sure many would find them interesting and helpful.
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I apologise to my readers for some of the spellings you may feel are incorrect. I was born and brought up in the United Kingdom, and this is the spelling I am comfortable with (Grammarly is happy with it anyway).