Learning from Motivational Speakers: Chris Willx and James Smith

I recently attended a motivational event featuring Chris Williamson and James Smith. It had been some time since I last participated in such an event, so I was quite excited. Although I wasn’t deeply familiar with their work before, I believed I’d gain something valuable – and indeed, I did.

My takeaways include:

We are not afraid of failure but what people will say when we fail

I’ve always thought people are afraid to fail, but this one sentence changed my perspective and now I know it’s more about fearing others’ judgment. Sure, failing might make me feel silly for a bit, but that’s temporary and within my control. What really lingers is worrying about what others will think. We all seek acceptance, and the fear of becoming the topic of someone’s jokes can paralyze us. The key is learning to disregard opinions that aren’t constructive and focusing on feedback that helps you improve.

Insecurities are the path to your growth, cherish them

Another one, our insecurities! We often try to hide our insecurities as if they don’t exist. However, as James highlighted, these insecurities are opportunities for growth. By acknowledging and understanding them, we can develop a plan to transform these perceived weaknesses into strengths. Embracing our insecurities is not just about acceptance, but about actively working to turn them into areas of personal empowerment.

Reflect on how much you’ve changed over 5 years

We’re often so focused on the next goal or task that we forget to reflect. Even I, who understands the importance of reflection, realised I don’t do it enough. While James was talking about it, I saw all the amazing things I’ve created and achieved, and how much my life has improved over the years. It filled me with pride. Try it yourself – think about your last five years and how you’ve changed.

Your idols are just normal people

Hearing Chris and James admit their imperfections was a humbling reminder that our idols and those we admire are just regular people. They have expertise in a narrow area but most probably struggle in others, just like us. It’s a comforting thought that nobody’s perfect.

Outwork your self-doubt

We’ve all experienced moments when self-doubt or a lack of confidence held us back from pursuing our goals. This is particularly common when embarking on new ventures. The key is not to dwell on these fears but to actively work against them. Engage in the activities that scare you until they become second nature. Remember past successes and moments you felt confident to reinforce your growing self-belief. This approach isn’t just about overcoming fear; it’s about building a foundation of confidence through action and experience.

You measure your success by Instagram engagement instead of action you took

The most impactful takeaway for me was about measuring success. In a world where social media engagement seems like everything, especially for those starting a business or creating content, it’s easy to feel discouraged by low engagement. However, success isn’t just about likes or comments. It’s about the effort and action you put into your work. Building an audience takes time, and low engagement in the early stages is normal. What matters is the work you’ve invested, not just the immediate response it receives.

To ensure that the invaluable lessons from this motivational event stay with me, I made it a point to either record key parts of the talks or jot down detailed notes. This practice not only helps in retaining the information but also serves as an inspiration and knowledge that I can revisit anytime. These notes solidify my learnings and keep the insights fresh and applicable in my ongoing journey of growth and self-improvement.

Let me know what’s your techniques to retain the knowledge from motivational event.