During the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, I took a massive leap outside my comfort zone when I wrote, recorded and published a lockdown parody music video.

This was huge for me as I have always been afraid of taking a chance, putting myself out there or sharing things online. I'd never even sung in front of people other than at school.

It was a massive leap, made up of many small steps

Although it was a leap outside my comfort zone, it didn't happen all at once. It was a series of smaller steps, each giving me the confidence to take the next, such as:

• with each day feeling the same, I had the idea for some lyrics based on Lou Read's Perfect Day

• for fun; I recorded them on my phone, in private, over a karaoke track

• I shared this with my family, who were shocked, but delighted

• I've always enjoyed video editing, and so, with time on my hands, I started to make a video, sharing bits with my wife for feedback

• after that, I started sharing, emboldened by the feedback and reactions. First with my wider family, then a few colleagues, then my team, and the company before finally sharing it on LinkedIn with all my contacts! Each step didn't seem so big after the last

Whenever I feel doubtful, I use this to remind myself of what's possible and what I'm capable of

All too often, we imprison ourselves by the fear of what other people might think and don't express ourselves or show who we really are.

While I'm still surprised I did this, it has been a watershed moment for me and unlocked my confidence to be myself and explore new things. Whenever I doubt myself, I often return to this as a propt.

I also discovered the positive impact that this had on other people during an extremely difficult period in the UK covid lockdown. The video didn't need to be good. What mattered was my doing something completely different, sharing it and showing a side of me that had previously been hidden.

And the video? You can find it at https://youtu.be/xQQmmHsHdaQ