I’ve always believed that the first person you need to build a reputation with is yourself.
You can’t project outward confidence if you’re trying to fix what’s inside. Your foundation is self-belief. I give myself constant affirmations that I’m doing well. I start the day with a double fist pump.
It might sound silly, but try it one day. It’s an instant boost to your mood and confidence.
I also make a big deal of my personal victories. I’ll even high five myself. It’s important to celebrate being true to yourself.
You need to know yourself and your body.
If you understand yourself, you’ll understand how your energy works and what you need to stay motivated, like my fist pumps and high-fives.
You’ll also understand your personal kryptonite and be able to deal with it. It’s important to invest time in yourself to understand your emotions.
I put life in my diary too.
Work’s important, and it takes up a lot of my time – but it doesn’t take up all of my time. A good work/life balance won’t only make you happier, it will actually make you better at everything you do – including your work.
Don’t waste time. If you can get a meeting done in seven minutes, why take ten, or 20 minutes, or even an hour? Time is precious. Treat it that way.
I follow the ‘crush it’ philosophy.
One of the people I admire is Gary Vuynachuk, a US-based social media guru. His focus is social media, that’s it. It’s an interesting lesson to learn from him.
Instead of trying to do everything well, give one thing your absolute all. Be the best at it and always be taking what you do to the next level. Focus on what you’re really good at and crush it.
Conviction and control are two things you can prioritise in a world that is often beyond your control.
Life is about connecting.
In sales we learn about the ABCs of sales, with the C relating to closing – you always need to be closing. But in life, that C is actually about connecting.
You need to be genuine, you need to be innovating, and you need to be connecting. It’s the human element of work and life that makes us successful, and enjoy what we’re doing.
Always remember that measurement drives behaviour.
I call it controlling your RAs, or your reticular activation system. It means that you can choose what to focus on. It requires conviction in yourself and an understanding of what you want to achieve, because you need to have confidence in your goals.
But once you do, you’ll not only be able to focus on the end goal – you’ll achieve it.