Blog Post: Are you showing the best YOU?

Are you showing the best YOU?

Fake it till you make it.

Be Confident!

Don’t show them you are nervous!

The first one to say something loses.

Some familiar mantras for many of us – as we started out in the world of ‘being’ a professional. To top it off- we have ‘practices’. What the heck is that about? As a professional – we have spent years in school, worked for additional years of time under another licensed professional to make sure we are clear in the day-to-day activities, responsibilities, and technical expertise needed for our profession, taken a series of tests that make sure our knowledge is on par with the needs of our profession, then for many of us we have taken the huge step -- no LEAP of deciding to be independent of a boss!

Why??? Why not keep working on a team with a boss to take care of a lot of the responsibilities of being in business?

What a great question---- What is YOUR answer?

Are you on your own? Why did you choose that path for your future?
Are you loving it?
Are you being independent?
Are you making a difference in your area of genius?
Are you gradually finding yourself trying to be like others?
Comparing yourself to them?
Trying to duplicate what they are doing?
Trying to be the same instead of different?

What an interesting thing to reflect on a bit.

Are clients attracted to you because you are the same? Or because you are different?

Do they want you to give them the same answers, style, solutions, campaigns, impact – whatever- as all the OTHER professionals in your expertise?

When you choose someone to work with, do YOU want someone who is the SAME as everyone else?

So, why do we allow ourselves to be molded into SAMENESS instead of accentuating our uniqueness? Our Differences?

Over the years, I have noticed a pattern. Businesses BECOME more like their competitors and their clients. Then they start struggling and can’t figure out why. They don’t see that THEY have changed. They think everyone else has changed.

Now I am not saying change is bad. Don’t take that away from this conversation!

But – we need to do a bit of reflection.

There is an energy, an excitement, a bit of confidence in OUR uniqueness and unique ideas when we open our own business. Those are things people are drawn to, and the clients who help us get our start are looking for that freshness and uniqueness.

So what happens to that? The nature of business competition, the nitty-gritty of day-to-day staying in business, taking on of some clients who help us get the bills paid, but they seem to want the ‘minimum’ instead of the special…

LIFE!

Next thing we know…a few years have passed and we have become like our competitors and dropped to the minimum levels, since that is where we can compete on price. YUCK! That is sucking our energy right out of us! Professionals tend to be CREATIVE, at least to a degree. When we aren’t playing with THAT energy, we feel ZAPPED! And then we start feeling TRAPPED! Guess what that does to us? To our confidence? To our outlook? Think how we show up to projects when we feel that way!

Suddenly - well really gradually - we are spending a ton of energy trying to get excited about our projects, our clients, our work in general, our industry, and everything else in our life!

Are you there? Can you feel it? Now what?

Let’s START making a change! One step at a time. THIS MONTH – let’s keep it simple – but START!

Awareness is so freeing, as it allows us to recognize, identify and acknowledge what is happening. So let’s start there!

A simple notebook will be helpful--one small enough to carry with you, but a piece of notebook paper folded up in your pocket will work too. You want to carry it with you all the time during your work day, and have it available as you are working out, cooking, doing household chores, or driving around – you know…those times when sudden inspiration and AHA’s hit- but you don’t have the ability to take notes normally.

One side of the page is for “Who or what am I trying to be that I am NOT?”

The other side is for “Who or what am I trying NOT to be that I am?”

Think on this early in the day, each day. Make some notes. As things come to you during the day, add to it. Use additional pages as you go through the month.

Think on who you, your family, your clients, your team want you to be and need you to be – is that who you are? Or who you are trying to be?

Think on who they all need you NOT to be. Is that who you are? Or who you try not to be? So who are you?

This is NOT an exercise to make you feel bad about yourself!!! It is an exercise to help you simply recognize, identify, and acknowledge what is happening. No judgment with it -- just data for thought!