I tripped up this week.
Not metaphorically, literally.
I was working in Palma. Strolling along a beautiful walkway. No cobbles. No obstacles. Just me, Mrs H, the Mediterranean air… and a sudden gravitational reminder that I’m not invincible.
Did I say whoops? Did I confess to Christine that I’d lost my footing? Did I take a moment to recalibrate my gait? No way…
I styled it out.
Big grin. Long strides. Confident shoulders.
I think I got away with it… not 😁.
I bet you’ve done it too. Are you familiar with any of these?
You get the lyrics wrong - but just keep singing.
Someone remembers you, but you don’t have a clue who they are. You smile, say, ‘Great to see you’ and wait for some contextual clues.
Driving: you make a wrong turn and announce, ‘It’s the scenic route’.
You zone out of a conversation and jump back in with a confident nod and a ‘Totally agree’.
Styling it out is your built-in human coping mechanism for those tiny slips that feel massive in the moment.
Psychologists call it self-presentation theory - the way your brain protects your social image and reduces embarrassment.
It’s ego preservation with a dash of theatre.
And here’s where it’s brilliant.
When done well, styling it out isn’t just damage control - it’s confidence in motion. As my mate Richard Nugent says, ‘Confidence isn’t something you have, it’s something you do.’
It shows you can bounce, recover, even own your slip-ups. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being adaptable.
The next time you get something slightly wrong - and you will - consider it your cue. Style it out. Just keep going.
Don’t overthink it. The world is too busy styling out its own stuff to worry about yours.
I want to hear your stories. Please share your ‘style it out’ moments. Share your moments below.
Be Brilliant!
Michael
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