How to be brave in times of uncertainty

Skye Robertson has been working at Escape The City for the last 5 years, building the School Accelerator Programmes and helping people to find careers that matter to them and the world.

We asked Skye for her advice as part of a series of 'Female Career Rebel' videos we produced for International Women's Day. Periods of uncertainty can often leave us swamped with anxiety, so we asked Skye about the best ways to counter this and to keep moving forward.

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What does bravery have to do with your career? Well, quite a lot actually.

If you want to do something different, whether that's starting up something of your own, making your way to the top of your profession, or making a career transition, you need a good dose of bravery. Think of bravery not as a character trait, but a thing you do. It's something you practice, building it as you would a muscle. The act of bravery is merely a choice you make to do something that feels difficult in that moment. Bravery, for me, means choosing what is right over what is easy. Bravery is acting with integrity, choosing courage over comfort, and taking action aligned with your values even when there's a more convenient option.

And it's practicing your values, not just preaching them.

Bravery is choosing awkwardness over resentment. It's having a conversation with someone around something that's bothering you or hurt you in some way, instead of brushing it under the carpet and then holding a grudge. It's about upholding boundaries and holding people accountable. This, for me, is the hardest part. As a people pleaser, I find it incredibly difficult, but I also find it the biggest confidence booster there is. I decided to use my video to explore how to be brave: Acknowledging that, whether we realise it or not, we make choices every day about whether to be brave.

I wanted to discuss some of the techniques I use in my life, which I think can help you to build bravery into your behaviour, to make it habitual. Courage is contagious. Once you start, you’ll notice that it'll become a little easier each time. Skye.

Skye Robertson, Escape the City, COO

Click here to watch the video

Want more?

• Watch the rest of our 'How To' Female Career Rebels series to get advice on a range of different topics
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