Introduction:
As we strive to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves in our professions, we naturally want to ensure we are maximizing our chances of success. We work so hard and dedicate so much time and energy to achieving our ambitions, it makes sense to do everything we can to reach these goals with efficiency and accuracy. What I am presenting to you today is an approach to make that journey as natural and coordinated as possible.
This happens when we embrace our values and align our purpose with the goals we want to achieve, this is how we show up as our authentic selves and portray our personal brand.
Your personal brand can set you apart as a unique and valuable asset. When you focus on developing and applying your strengths and natural abilities, others see you as a trusted expert and reliable resource. Not only are you knowledgeable, but you are also leading with personal experience and a relevant perspective. At this stage, one is able to attract opportunities because they are resonating with a true presence and energy which others notice. You are presenting as a solution to their challenges. This is when your personal brand really shines.
Think about the reputation you currently have. What comes up for you as you think about your own personal brand? How are you representing yourself to others and embodying what is truly important? How well do you build trust with others? Would you say you have strong integrity? Through your actions, decisions, and your language, others will experience how you represent these values. This is the foundation which your conduct either manifests or prevents opportunities.
Deep within us, we have this pull, this calling, to pursue an endeavor that is truly special to ourselves in our professional ambitions. A journey that we are meant to fulfill, a mission that is uniquely ours to manifest. Some of us are bold and brave enough to accept this call and face that invitation to satisfy that deep desire to fully develop our potential, to pursue an endeavor that makes us feel truly alive.
It is when we are fully aligned with our purpose and bring our core values to the forefront of our ambition where successful opportunities happen.
I struggled with doubt for many years because I prevented myself from embracing what I felt was truly important to me and I forced myself to pursue a path that just didn’t feel right. For me, things started to fall into place once I truly embraced my uniqueness, my values, and purpose.
Identifying your core values:
Think about your core values. What is most important for you in your personal and professional lives? Think about the top values that are sacred and pure in your heart. What are your non-negotiable values? What represents you at your core? Now think about the attributes and adjectives that other people would use to describe you. What would your closest family, friends, and colleagues say about you?
Next, think about the talents, skills, or traits you do exceptionally well. What are you best at? What sets you apart? What are your talents that can help others? Why are you unique? Think about how closely your values are related to how you are being perceived by others. Where is there alignment and where is there room to improve? What is coming up for you? How would you define your brand at this current moment?
Think about your future self, the ideal version of who you aspire to become, you at your fullest potential. How would you describe that version of yourself? What are those attributes, behaviors, and mindset? Now, how would you close that gap to where you are today to where you want to be? How would you better represent your values to not only yourself, but to everyone else? I had to fully believe in what was special to me. Being reliable and trustworthy were vital to me and those I interacted with would say the same. I keep these values in my mind for every action I take.
Defining your purpose:
Identifying your purpose and establishing it at the forefront of your ethos will enable you to stay dedicated and committed to your endeavors. Reflect on what your current purpose is. Why do you do what you do? When someone asks why this is important to you, what do you say? How would you define your purpose? What is your drive?
When we face hardships or get overwhelmed and our emotions take over, we need that purpose behind us to stay motivated. It’s that true reason behind why we want to achieve that goal in the first place. It connects our actions to our intentions.
Thinking about your purpose for the current goals you are pursuing, what are your unique and meaningful experiences that make you who you are? Who do you help? What is your impact? What do you want people to say about you after they work or interact with you? Think about your legacy. How do you want to be remembered? What stories would your children and grandchildren tell about you? Identifying the deep personal reasons that are behind this ambition only amplify your dedication.
To help establish progress on this path, identify simple actions you can take now to get more aligned and move in that better direction. In what areas are you lacking and where can you use improvement? What would be the first attribute you want to work on? How can you make that improvement? What actions or behaviors can you take that would promote this purpose to not only you embodying it more but to where others would notice? Is it a behavior or process you can adjust? A mindset or perspective shift? A skill or knowledge you acquire? What would the plan to improve look like?
We will know when we are truly aligned when we feel most alive.
We experience complete satisfaction and are at peace when we are engaging with just doing that task for what it is. There are no other external motivating factors that are our main drivers once we identify that main purpose in our journey, everything else becomes nearly irrelevant. For me, I am solely driven to help others. I operate with the intention to best enable other people’s success and doing so is so meaningful and important.
Gaining clarity:
Now, it’s ok if you are feeling a bit anxious about how you could make these improvements to get more aligned to your goals and better represent your personal brand. We need to be intentional about getting over the fear and doubts of taking the first step in improving how others are perceiving you. This is where the opportunity to manifest success lays.
Using the previous as context, think about the goal at this moment that you want to achieve for improving your personal brand. First, describe that goal in your mind. Where do you want to be and what do you aspire to become?
What might be in the way? What are the obstacles? Where do you need to close that knowledge gap? What do you need to learn? What do you need to unlearn? What is preventing you from achieving that goal?
Next, pair an action that will directly influence one of those obstacles. What limiting beliefs do you need to address? Where can you gain more clarity? What strengths of yours will help you the most to overcome those barriers? Identifying and attacking that specific obstacle with a relevant and effective solution will give you the space to move forward. Think about precisely what you need to do to overcome that hurdle.
Then, as you get closer to achieving your goals for improving your personal brand, think about what is working and promoting that success. What actions were actually helpful that you can replicate? What skills can you amplify? Reflecting on your progress, what helped and what hindered? What specifically are you doing to better reach your goals?
Lastly, how would you know you are successful? What are you measuring? At what point did you manifest that goal? Identify how your personal brand enabled you to do so.
In closing:
Reflect back from where we started.
Your core values are your guiding light, and your purpose is your driving force.
Once they are aligned and synchronized you can then fully fulfill your potential and uphold your mission. Success happens when our frequency of actions is in harmony with that of our ambitions. An authentic personal brand is necessary to accomplish the goals we strive to achieve. How are others going to trust and believe in our passions if we don’t fully embody them ourselves?
As you strive to be the best version you can be to accomplish your passions, ensure you are committed by representing your brand and your reputation will carry you towards success.
In this piece, we aim to accomplish the following objectives:
Objective 1: Align with your true purpose and fully embody your unique attributes that promote your authentic personal brand.
Objective 2: Overcome debilitating limiting beliefs and identify specific actions to effectively get you closer to your goals.