What Version Of Yourself Do You Bring To Work?
Every day you bring a version of yourself to work.
It’s your choice who that person will be. It will either be the best version of yourself, the worst version of yourself, or the caught-in-the-middle version of yourself. Chances are that different situations cause a different version of yourself to appear. But to be truly successful, we need to strive to bring the boldest, most focused, and energized version of ourselves to all that we do. It’s when we are truly present that we become a great leader.
When we approach each day with a bold, collective, and strong self-image, we relax our body chemistry, which allows us to think clearly and navigate tactfully. The more uncomfortable we feel, the more we release high cortisol levels in our body, which is the stress hormone. The more cortisol rises at the moment, the more confused and muddy our thinking becomes. This is why we forget simple things in fearful situations. To bring our best selves to meetings and challenges, we need to practice the art of opening up our body language and getting ourselves into a confident state of mind.
Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy says, “Focus less on the impression you’re making on others and more on the impression you’re making on yourself.” When your self-image is strong, you come across as confident and inspiring. This means you have to love yourself truly…I know it sounds mushy…but it is VERY accurate. I don’t mean love yourself in an arrogant way, but in a healthy, self-confident way.
So, what are you doing to bring your best self to work? What is your morning and evening routine that enables you to be your best at work? Make sure you take care of yourself.
Here is a great podcast episode I did last year on 3 Ways To Start & End Your Day. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Also, watch this amazing TED Talk Amy Cuddy gave about how our body language shapes who we are…amazing!