10 signs you're playing small (and the fix for each)

Playing small doesn't feel like fear. It feels reasonable. Sensible. 'I'm just being realistic.' Ten signs you've been quietly negotiating yourself down - and what to swap each one for.

The 10 signs

1. 01
   You under-charge

   Fix: raise your price by 30% on the next quote. Watch the world keep spinning.

2. 02
   You over-explain

   Long messages, apologetic emails, justifying your no. Fix: shorter sentences. 'No, that doesn't work for me.' Full stop.

3. 03
   You ask for permission you don't need

   Fix: write the post, send the pitch, book the trip. Tell people after.

4. 04
   You hide your wins

   Fix: share one win publicly this month. Not a humblebrag - a clear, specific result.

5. 05
   You shrink around certain people

   Notice who. That's information. Spend less time there.

6. 06
   You pick safe goals

   Targets you'd hit on autopilot. Fix: add one goal that scares you a little. Tell one person.

7. 07
   You wait to feel ready

   Ready is a feeling that follows the first rep. Take the first rep this week.

8. 08
   You take feedback from people not in the arena

   Spectators have opinions; players have scars. Filter accordingly.

9. 09
   You confuse being liked with being respected

   Likeable is cheap. Respected is durable. Pick one.

10. 10
    You operate at 70% so no one's threatened

    The people who'd be threatened by your 100% are not the people you want around your 100%.

How to implement

• Pick the 2 signs that sting the most. Don't try to fix all 10.
• Choose the fix beside each. Put it on the calendar for this week.
• Tell one person what you're doing - that's how it becomes real.

What I learned

Every time I 'played it safe', it was just fear with a CV. The work that scared me was almost always the work that mattered. Promote yourself before someone has to.

Small isn't humble. Small is hiding.