As a child I loved Lego, I had the whole town, the roads, the trees, the buildings and cars. I could be lost for hours building and playing. I’m sure it was sometimes a point of contention between me and my brother, but my memory has blotted out the arguments and tension and it’s a source of joy.

In my teenage years, my best friend always got Lego at Christmas, it was tradition. I didn’t and wondered if I was missing something.

My brother has never lost the love and frequently shares the latest build (usually Star Wars) on Facebook. His place is filled with the stuff.

Then my husband started and Lego pieces started to grow in the house. Did I still feel like I was missing out?

My return to Lego started with the blockheads - Star Wars of course. I was surprised by the detail and strength and how hard it was. I was very proud of the finished piece. Then I progressed.

Small steps

With the seemingly large (though not actually that large) Lego kit, with 4 bags of what looked like very small pieces in front of me, I was a little daunted. This was more Lego than I’d played with for some time.

It turned out well, as Lego in all its genius breaks things down into small steps, that are easy to follow and allowed me to get a sense of progress that kept me motivated and engaged as I opened one bag after another.

This is the perfect metaphor for you if you are facing what feels like a mountain and you have no idea how you are going to tackle it. It might be a specific project, a long to-do list or all the stuff that comes with a new job.

The restructuring of the healthcare system is one huge task, and when you look at it in small steps, lots of progress has been made.

Sure there is still a lot to do and work out. What does that work look like for your team and the work you do? At the start of a new year when the future isn’t clear, it’s even harder to work out what the next step might be.

Walk as far as you can see.

Connect with your why and your purpose for being there. Set an intention. Then ask:

What is one step that can take you closer to what you are trying to achieve?

Practice

As I built my Lego Disney Fix there were several repeating patterns. I got better at putting these pieces together by the repetitive nature. I got quicker, I got more confident. Then I was able to spot in advance where I could be more efficient, saving time and getting onto the next step.

If you’ve started a new job, or taken on a new responsibility and it’s feeling hard - it’s OK. Learning new skills is hard work, keep practising, and you will get better. Your confidence will grow.

Note that practice makes progress, (not perfect). Make sure you’ve got what you need to make the most of your practice.

Trust

You can feel pretty confident that there will be enough pieces in the Lego box to complete your masterpiece. Right now feeling like there are enough people, time or resources to do your job might not have the same level of trust or confidence.

So what can you do?

First up - trust yourself - your abilities, your strengths, and what you stand for. Knowing who you are and what you bring will build your confidence for managing whatever this week’s challenge is.

Secondly - Where can you build trust with others? If you are leading a team, what do they need from you to feel more confident or more trust in you?

Trust is one of those BIG topics. Here are my most popular resources when it comes to trust: