Michael D. Brown
Copyright © by MOTIVATION magazine. All rights reserved.
You Are Pregnant With Possibilities
Why Not Give Birth to a Great Personal Brand?
The new year is traditionally associated with birth. Of course, babies are born all year long, but as the new year begins understandably, people's minds turn to birth and new beginnings. Traditional New Year events such as New Year's Eve Celebrations to bring in the New Year and the setting of New Year's Resolutions could also be considered "births" of a sort, as the projected and future growth of families, lives, careers, and achievements come into account.
Okay, enough sappiness. All kidding aside, I do mention the beginning of the new year as a starting point of birth for a specific reason - the new year is the perfect time to give birth (or rebirth) to your brand and intentionally making every day count. Yes, a new happy, healthy and energized personal brand! Even when the economy is good, winter is a tough time to refresh or give birth to a personal brand. The workplace is getting back to normal after the holiday season, bad weather hits, and the financial impact of holiday shopping has your attention. Many people take vacations to warmer, sunnier regions. A new or rejuvenated personal brand may get obscured by the dull, gray background or extreme cold temperatures.
But as the days grow longer and people's spirits lighten, the environment becomes much more receptive to the launch of a new or refresh personal brand. Typically, you start with an honest self-assessment of yourself and your current career and position in life. Write down all the possibilities you see around you. Consider this period the baby shower before the birth.
Rather than let potential self-doubt, procrastination, or fear pressure you into postponing the birth of your new or rejuvenated personal brand, use them as motivators to get the best and most out of each day. Use the first few months of the new year at work and in your everyday life as an opportunity to nurture your brand beyond the infant and toddler stages. So when things do start picking up at work and in life, your bouncing bundle of joy is now a confident and shining young adult, ready to strike out and define itself. Everyone else who waited till the middle or close to the end of the year to give births to their new or rejuvenated personal brands will be competing against you with "baby brands" - cute and fun, but not capable of doing much and a lot of work to maintain and nourish. If you ever have been or known a new parent, you are aware of how draining and challenging caring for a baby can be.
Give birth to your new or rejuvenated personal brand within the first 30 days of the new year — sooner rather than later. Spend time nurturing, learning about, raising, loving, supporting, and growing it daily. Even if your existing personal brand is well-defined and mature, it would hardly hurt to add some youthful flourish and energy to what you have. With a little TLC, you will be able to proudly watch your baby grow through the continuous intake of new possibilities and take credit for its accomplishments - just like a real parent, without the crying and talking back!
Hello! In what way will you rejuvenate or grow your personal brand in this year? We'd love to hear and learn from you. Please feel free to share your contribution on this topic by commenting below. Thank you in advance for sharing.
About the Author: Michael D. Brown, MBA
Michael D. Brown, MBA, is a management expert and consultant, sought after motivational speaker, and best-selling author. Through Michael's signature programs and commitment to delivering results both through and with people, he has helped a number of Fortune 500 companies create and deliver world-class experiences that led to double-digit growth to their bottom lines.
For information on the author click on the following link: Michael D. Brown.
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