Feeling out of your depth? Try this

When Amy Poehler left SNL, she gave her “Weekend Update” partner Seth Meyers a badge of courage, courtesy of the props department. 

“He kept it in his pocket during ‘Update’ until he didn’t need it anymore,” she writes in Yes Please. “Now it sits in a box on his desk at Late Night.”

My own version of the courage badge was also a gift: a desk nameplate for "Mary Manhattan." Longtime readers may remember this was the name of my mom's alter ego. Whenever she felt out of her depth, she just assumed the supreme confidence of Ms. Manhattan until reality matched fantasy. Now, I pull out her nameplate and set it on my desk whenever I need an extra boost to get the job done.

When it comes to your career, I've found two crucial elements for gaining confidence. This applies to moments of transition, whether you're taking on an entirely new role or simply stretching yourself to try something new.

Today, we'll add this two-pronged approach to your Career River toolkit through the "Harness Your Cadence" exercise. Use this to find the current of confidence you need to move forward.