#143 Thinking "It's not for me" might just be an assumption made before trying

Deciding in advance that "this doesn't suit me"

When encountering something new,
people judge much faster than they realize.

"It doesn't seem like it's for me"
"It probably won't be interesting"
"I don't think I can use my strengths here"

Before even knowing it deeply,
we quietly draw a line for ourselves.

Of course,
there is no need to try everything.

Time is limited,
and it is important to choose what suits you.

However,
I think it's a bit of a waste to close off your possibilities
based solely on an "impression before trying."

Are your strengths and weaknesses really decided by you?

Things you are good at.
Things you are bad at.

They certainly exist.

But,
I feel that among the things we currently think are true,
some actually have only vague foundations.

I failed a little in the past.
Someone told me I wasn't suited for it.
It felt somewhat different from my personality.
I was influenced by the image others had of me.

Through the accumulation of such experiences,

"This is the kind of person I am"
"This is not for me"

are things we have decided.

But,
is that really a fact?

A job I thought wouldn't be interesting before I tried it

I myself
have experience working at a call center.

To be honest,
I didn't have a very positive impression of it before I started.

I wondered if it was just a job of repeating set instructions.
I thought the
communication and initiative skills I considered my strengths
wouldn't be very useful.

That's how I thought about it.

But,
once I actually did it,
that image changed significantly.

It was a job that involved engaging with people more than I had imagined.

On the other end of the phone,
there are individual customers all over the country.

Even when conveying the same information,
the way I chose my words changed
depending on the other person's situation and the tone of their voice.

For those who seemed a little anxious,
I would speak in a way that would put them at ease.

For those who had questions,
I would ask what exactly they were stuck on.

For those who were angry,
I would first acknowledge their feelings.

In that role,
it wasn't just about speaking skills,
but the ability to imagine the other person's state and the ability to engage with each individual right in front of me
that were necessary.

It was a job that involved engaging with people much more than I had thought.

There was learning in a place I thought "wasn't for me"

Furthermore, through that work,
I learned not only about conversations with customers,
but also things important for working with people.

Sharing information within the team.
Imagination for someone you can't see.
Understanding a situation in a limited amount of time.
Not making selfish assumptions about the other person's anxiety,
but listening first.

If I had avoided it based only on my first impression,
thinking "this isn't for me,"
I don't think I would have encountered these lessons.

It was precisely because I tried it
that I was able to realize my own assumptions.

It is never too late to decide whether something suits you after you have experienced it.

Of course,
there are times when,
after actually trying it, you might think, 'I knew it wasn't for me.'

That is perfectly fine.

However,
deciding based only on imagination before starting
and making a judgment after having experienced it once
are completely different things.

The former
tends to be a decision that narrows your possibilities.

The latter
becomes an experience that helps you know yourself.

Therefore,
if you are even slightly interested,
if there is even a slight connection,
I believe there is value in trying it once.

It is not too late to think about whether it suits you after you have done it.

Finally

It's not for me.
I don't think I can utilize my strengths.
It probably won't be interesting.

There are times when you feel that way.

But I would like to pause and consider
whether that judgment
is truly born from experience,
or if it is just an assumption.

People
only after trying something
encounter a new side of themselves.

You might enjoy it more than you thought.
You might be able to demonstrate your abilities more than expected.
There might be unexpected lessons to learn.

Your potential
will not expand just by thinking about it in your head.
It gradually becomes visible once you start moving.

That is precisely why
I want to avoid
drawing too many lines for myself based only on first impressions.