I hope your year is off to a great start, despite the ongoing COVID-19 challenges. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the phrase “New Year, New You” over the past couple of weeks, I’d cash in a lump sum of money. But catchy slogan aside, why do we need to forsake our old self and reinvent ourselves? Who we are today is the sum of all of our yesterdays. All of our traits, experiences, knowledge, skills, and relationships create the unique combination of our one-of-a-kind-ness. Having the power of free will, we have a duty to both honor our uniqueness and to develop ourselves further and grow. There is no need to tear ourselves down in order to build ourselves up again. On the contrary, personal growth is about recognizing our accomplishments and celebrating all our wins, big and small, to make them count. Improvement is incremental.
When we speak of growth it is typically to describe a change for the better, having more in quality or quantity, beyond our current situation. While highly desirable, growth is a difficult and lengthy process to go through. It requires discomfort and sustained effort. It is through the unexpected experiences that we gain the tools for success. Challenges are growth incubators. We acquire new skills when we are at a crossroads and have to make a big shift. But progress is seldom easily achieved. So, perhaps this year, embrace the “old you” and commit to a flexible action plan to cultivate what matters in order to grow in an authentic way. Authenticity means respecting your life’s experiences and inner wisdom. It requires looking within yourself to develop a coherent personal and professional brand.
A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. Your reputation is your brand. Your brand is your mark in the world. When we talk about building a personal brand, it’s about making a name for yourself and telling a story that communicates your value. Just as having a strong corporate brand works to build business and customer recognition, building a strong personal brand opens professional opportunities to make an impact. Businesses create vision and mission statements. Creating a personal brand begins much the same way by creating a personal vision. Even if you haven’t consciously cultivated a personal brand, it exists nonetheless. It might be an interesting exercise to conduct your own 360 review by asking friends, colleagues and former bosses how they would describe you and what qualities they associate with you. Creating a brand is mostly about clearly identifying what drives you, your strengths, and the qualities that make you unique. Try and create your own personal tagline, a short and clear message that defines who you are and what you do. Once you create your brand, you can start taking action to deliver on your brand promise.
Your personal brand is the image you project to the world, claiming your identity. The connections you form are based on that image. Forming connections is a two-way street; be strategic about the opportunities you work to attract. Once your reputation precedes you, you will start to attract the opportunities you seek. Building a personal brand is like planting a garden. Your work is not done once you lay the groundwork and plant the seeds. It takes time and dedicated effort to grow and maintain a garden. Creating and building your unique brand is an organic and ongoing process. It is said that in a perfectly competitive market, you are in Sales no matter what career you’ve chosen. I’d say that to stand out, you have to market yourself throughout your career. So, merge the “old” and the “new” you to give yourself a career brand. Your reputation is your calling card. To market yourself, your career goals and choices must align with your interests, strengths, expertise. These elements are your brand offering, what you bring to the table. To establish your credibility and bolster your reputation, your words and actions have to match.
Your personal brand is all about your human connections. You shape your brand with every interaction, every room you enter and every post you make. Everything you say and do is a message to the world.
Be intentional in how you manage your interpersonal relationships. In setting your personal and professional goals strive to be the best person you can be. Choose what is right for you and what is conducive to the brand you are cultivating. Your reputation is developed through the ebbs and flows of life’s journey. Every step you take. Every move you make. Every word you say. All of the choices you make, make you.
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