You'll never feel ready to grow up (and that's a good sign)

Notes on giants - Number 40

Welcome to Mental Garden. The following letter is part of our “Notes on giants“ collection, in which we explore the thoughts of humanity’s greatest minds.
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🏷️ Categories: Life lessons, Goals.

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At the beginning of the 1950s, a young student realized he had a problem he could no longer avoid.

The student’s name was Warren Buffett.

Today, Warren is one of the most successful investors in the world, but at that time, there was something that terrified him: public speaking. Warren was terrified of standing up in front of others, to the point of avoiding situations where he would have to do so.

He avoided any situation that involved exposing himself and speaking.

He knew this fear was limiting him. He would later admit that his fear of public speaking was one of his greatest personal obstacles. But just as he knew it was limiting him, he also knew that if he wanted to grow, he would have to learn to communicate.

So he enrolled in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course.

When the time came to attend, he was extremely nervous. In the course, he saw that other students felt the same paralyzing fear he did. The reality was that he was not the only one in that situation (HBO Max, 2017; Segal, 2019). He could have waited for a “better” moment. He could have convinced himself he wasn’t ready yet.

But he attended anyway.

And that course changed his life.

Buffett later stated that the Dale Carnegie course had a huge impact on his development as a professional. Learning to communicate was the crucial skill behind his success. In fact, he still keeps his course certificate in his office (Segal, 2015).

Warren Buffett meeting with President Barack Obama (2011) [URL]

I like this definition of growth.

We all feel like Warren in some area of our lives. The key difference here is that those who were nervous in that room with Warren dared to face their fears, while others are still overthinking and avoiding them.

• You’re not ready to speak in public.

• You’re not ready to start a business either.

• Nor are you ready to move to another city.

You’re not ready to grow… and that’s exactly why it will make you grow.

Start before you feel ready.

By definition, growth is something that makes you feel unprepared and uncertain. If it were comfortable and easy, it wouldn’t be growth. It would be normal. It would be who you already are, and you would have everything under control.

There will never be a perfect moment to do something that demands more of you than you think you have.

This is true whether you’re about to get married, have your first child, change careers, or face any challenging goal. I don’t mean you should be reckless or not think things through, but at some point you have to accept that there will always be doubts, and there is no alternative.

You cannot be fully ready for real growth.

That’s why it’s growth.

The only thing you can do is take the step.

Do you want to learn more? Here are 3 related ideas to explore further:

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

2. Are you underestimating your long-term potential?

3. What if failure is just the first step? Mistakes are the path to success

✍️ Your turn: What fear are you avoiding right now that, deep down, you know is holding back your growth? What small but real step can you take this week to face that fear?

💭 Quote of the day #1: “I was terrified of public speaking. I would throw up before speaking in public.” — Warren Buffett, Becoming Warren Buffett HBO Documentary (2017).

💭 Quote of the day #2: “One thing you should do, whether you like it or not, is become very comfortable speaking in public. That’s an asset that will last you 50 or 60 years of your life, and it’s a disadvantage if you don’t like doing it or feel uncomfortable. If you don’t do it, that discomfort also lasts 50 or 60 years. That’s how you bring out the best in the people around you—that’s a rare talent.” — Warren Buffett, Warren Buffett explaining the importance of Public Speaking, (Manish Kulkarni, 2012).

See you next time! 👋

References 📚

1. Carnegie, D. (1962). The quick and easy way to effective speaking.

2. HBO Max. (2017). Becoming Warren Buffett. URL

3. Manish Kulkarni. (2012). Warren Buffett explaining the importance of Public Speaking skills. YouTube. URL

4. Segal, G. Z. (2015). Getting there: A Book of Mentors.

5. Segal, G. Z. (2019). Billionaire Warren Buffett: ’This $100 college course gave me the most important degree I have’—and it’s why I’m successful today. CNBC. URL