How to become your future successful self
I work with people every day who have big hopes and dreams. They have an idea that they just know, inside their heart of hearts, will make a difference in someone else’s life if that person only knew about them.
They know they can help, because they’ve figured it out! They know what to do next! And, they believe they are worth being paid to share this wealth of knowledge to the world.
And they are.
They absolutely are.
But how will people know about them? How do you go about letting the world know that you are the “next best thing to sliced bread?”
That’s where a little thing called “marketing” comes in.
So many people are overwhelmed by this one little word. And the whole world seems good at it except, perhaps, you?
I have a little secret for you. No one – and I mean NO ONE – is good at marketing themselves. It’s so hard to step back and look at yourself and say “Hey! I rock!” “Why wouldn’t someone want to hire me?!?” “I’ve got it going on!!”
LOL – said no one, except, maybe, a certain President we all know…
But I digress.
It is plain difficult to feel boastful about yourself, especially for women who typically struggle with confidence and promoting themselves. (See my post popular blog post EVER on the topic of women and confidence here)
So how do you get past it? How do you get past YOU, and focus on your gifts, your business, your service that you want to give to the world? (And, well, make money for it too?)
I have a few ideas.
Lady Gaga did it.
So did Madonna.
How about Oprah?
How about Samuel Clemens, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens, Eileen Regina Edwards (Shania Twain), Annie Mae Bullock (Tina Turner), Caryn Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg), Gordon Sumner (Sting), Allen Konigsberg (Woody Allen), Roy Scherer Jr. (Rock Hudson), Declan McManus (Elvis Costello)…have I made my point?
Each of these creative artists, authors and musicians chose to separate themselves from their work for the purposes of marketing. Some were hiding from their gender, yes, in the hopes they would be taken seriously.
Others chose to shield themselves from commentary about who they were and their past accomplishments, and focus on their talent instead.
Said J.K. Rowling about her attempt to remove herself from her first adult novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, under the penname of Robert Galbraith: “I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career with this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback.”
How about Louisa May Alcott, who published under her real name for her best known work, Little Women; however she also published gothic thrillers under the penname A.M. Bernard, as it was considered to be “unladylike” for a writer of her gender in the late 19th century to write about such dark subject matter.
I was surprised to learn that one of my favourite musical artists of my youth, Elvis Costello, was baptised “Declan Patrick MacManus.” Costello took his pseudonym from Elvis Presley and his father’s stage name, Day Costello. This was recommended by his marketing agent at the time. He did eventually legally change his name to Elvis Costello – presumably growing into the stage name and talent he had created and eventually fully owning that persona as himself.
But he had to grow into it.
That’s the point.
Who we know we have the potential to be and who the world currently knows us as, can be very different.
Who we know we have the potential to be and who the world currently knows us as, can be very different.Click To TweetSometimes it’s just easier to pretend we’re someone else for a while.
Or perhaps we need to put the outside world aside and really focus in on what we want for ourselves; what we want for our new businesses; who we want the world to know us as eventually.
It’s just the big leap in between can seem quite scary.
But does that matter? Does it really matter to the future you, how the current you is feeling? What would your future self have to say to yourself now?
I know what they’d say:
Who are you going to live up to: The person you are today? Or the person you want to be tomorrow?
Who are you going to live up to: The person you are today? Or the person you want to be tomorrow?Click To TweetTake that leap. Take the step. Step outside your comfort zone, and focus on your future self.
Look at yourself as an outsider would.
Look at yourself as your ideal client.
The more you separate yourself from your work, and the impact you know your work and your experience will have on people, the more you will be able to promote that work, sell your wares and showcase your unique talents to the world.
And if this is still difficult for you, I invite you to consider asking a friend, colleague, trusted advisor, or hiring marketing or coaching support, to get you there. What third party insights can they bring to the table about your work so that you can truly showcase your gifts, the value you bring to others, and spread the word that you are available for hire?
Stop being the world’s best kept secret! Go out there and celebrate your gifts, talents and wares.
The world is waiting for what you have to offer.
Stop holding back.
Jump in.
And hold on for the ride.
To your success – at home, and at work,
P.S. If you’d like to receive regular issues of Balancing Your Total Life in your inbox twice a month, sign up here or below so you don’t miss a single post! You will be joining a community of like-minded, career-loving, life-balancing, go-getters who want to make the most of every single day. And, if this is speaking to you in a way that is sparking you to make some real change in your life or in your career, and you’re looking for more CLARITY about what’s next so you can be SUCCESSFUL in your career or your business, send me an email and we’ll set up time for a complimentary Balance Breakthrough Session. We will get you well on your way to figuring out how you can make those needed changes so you can balance it all and feel fulfilled in your life and in your work.
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