An all too common problem we run into in life is a lack of action to back up the words of those we work and live with. You may think you’ve met someone who can help progress your work forward, only for these people to fall through on the word they gave you when they committed to helping you. It sucks when someone says they’ll do something for you and they just leave you hanging. It’s happened to all of us. We place our trust in someone we believe to be reliable, who just doesn’t come through with what they promised. You are your word. Especially as an entrepreneur or a young professional still in the early phase of building your business and/or career. Without as much experience to show for what you’ve accomplished, your word can make or break you in the eyes of those you work with. This is a basic, but absolutely fundamental, pillar in business – doing what you say you’re going to do and sticking to your word. Why is this important? Integrity. For a young professional looking to build a career, creating a trustworthy reputation is crucial. To be able to do this, you have to stay true to your word when you give it to others. Set these personal standards for yourself, and you’ll see more doors open and opportunities flourish for yourself because of it. Values. The way we act reflect our individual values. Honesty, integrity and staying true to your word each are necessary values to uphold in life. If you can’t motivate yourself to act in such a way, how can you expect others to hold these values any differently? Being timely, honest and following through on your word with actions will always build credibility for yourself. If you can prove to coworkers, mentors and anyone else you meet that they can count on you, they’ll think highly of you, which will benefit you in the long run. If you’re unable to do this, you’ll inevitably begin to lose the confidence and trust of your peers and coworkers. You don’t want to build a reputation of letting others down. Just as showing integrity will improve your credibility, letting others down will do the opposite. This is bad for your personal brand, bad for your business as an entrepreneur, and bad for your future career prospects. Most of all, this is important to show respect for the time and efforts of others. When you don’t value a commitment enough to act on your word, that’s disrespectful to the person counting on you to come through. Of course, none of us mean to do this. We very seldom say yes to requests and opportunities thinking that we won’t follow through. But sometimes our best intentions are foiled. To avoid making this mistake in your career, here are some tips to avoid having that roll-your-eyes, she/he-is-never-going-to-get-that-done kind of reputation: Add reminders in your calendar. Schedule your commitments when you promise someone you’ll do
Friday Find: Hurry, before it’s over!
This week, a personal shopping session with a client I’ve worked with several times before took us to 7 For All Mankind. We soon found that the store was holding a store-wide 40 per cent off sale in both of their Canadian locations. Unfortunately for the rest of the country though, both those locations are in Alberta. But, there’s a silver lining, as the store’s holding a great sale online too. When you spend $300 online, you’ll get $100 off, regardless of whether that $300 is being spent on regularly priced or on sale items. This is a fantastic deal. The coupon code you can use at checkout for this deal is LABORDAY. Check out some of my top picks: For the Ladies For the gents
Be bold. Stand out.
In everything you do, professionally and personally, your aim is always to stand out in some way. To progress in the business world, you need to get yourself noticed in some way, naturally. One small but helpful way to stand out in life, is to wear rich colours. A striking colourful ensemble that works for you will instantly be noticed in plenty of situations. Once you find a bold, rich colour that works for you, it can work for you in the boardroom at work, or in your personal life to help you get noticed by a potential partner. Before you go and find the right colours to that work for you, there are some important tips to keep in mind: First of all, make sure that YOU stand out most of all instead of your clothes. People should be looking at you, not what you’re wearing, which is an important distinction to remember. Now, when finding the best colour for you, choose a colour that complements your skin, hair and eyes. If you’re unsure what the answer to this dilemma is, hold the garment up near your face. See if this enhances you or brings out dark circles around your eyes or near your lips. The right colour will look like a perfect complement. For the office, choose one bold colour in the workplace, not ten. Don’t go overboard. But for play, go ahead and add pattern with colour, and experiment. Don’t be heavy-handed with your fashion choices though, or you could end up looking like a fashion trainwreck. If you need some inspo of rich colours to add to your wardrobe, these options are perfect as we transition away from summer and into fall. For work For play These are just a handful of examples, find the right colour that works for you and use it to your advantage as much as you can!