Professor on August 9th, 2008
No matter how much we don’t like it, the way you dress has a big factor on your success and prosperity. Why? Opportunities will come to you depending on the way you look, the way you act, and the way you think. It is a three part process. We have talked a lot about how you think. It is the first step. They way you act is a second big step. We have not addressed this yet. What we will address is how you look.
There are several easy ways to look the part of success. It is important. If you don’t think that it is important then instead just look around. Observe the most successful people. Observe people who act successful. Here are some action steps for you to take.
Get a Fresh Haircut
If you are a guy keep your hair neatly trimmed. Not too long unless you are going to spend some time to style it every day. Keep facial hair to a minimum or none at all. Scruffy facial hair gives an impression of being lazy and not caring.
A good Clean Haircut shows Success
If you are a woman keep your hair neat and well groomed. For a good impression keep your hair up and expose your neck, it is a big power move. Also remove all unnecessary hair. It can be unsightly and distracting if you are trying to communicate more effectively.
Wearing Your Hair Up and Neat will look Successful
A Good Suit Goes a Long Way
For guys it has been proven that a navy blue blazer makes a very powerful statement. You probably have also heard about wearing a red tie. It gives the impression that you are a person of leadership. Daily you should always look fashionable. I know most of us like a t-shirt and jeans. Well you can look very successful and powerful in a nice t-shirt and jeans and still be comfortable. A nice polo shirt is a good substitute for a t-shirt and still comfortable. Look successful, be successful.
Dess Well and more Opportunities will come your way
For women it has been proven that a black suit makes a very powerful statement. Heels are not a must but are important. It makes you look taller and more powerful. It is the equivalent of a red tie for men. Keep jewelry to a minimum. Your accessories should not be big and extravagant but should complement your wardrobe. Always try to look your best. A few minutes in preparation can lead to opportunities that you otherwise may miss.
Always Dress for Success
Simply stated if you want to be seen as a successful person you must dress that way all the time. You never know where opportunities may come from.
Stand Tall and Be Proud
Part of the look of success is your body language. Although that topic alone can be another whole series of articles there are some simple steps in exuding success. The biggest one is having good posture. Slouching, stooping, or otherwise not standing up tall gives the impression to others that you can be walked all over. That you have no self confidence. That you are not a success. Good posture simply exudes confidence.
Good Posture Shows Confidence and Success
Walk Quickly with Confidence
You don’t have to speed walk but walk in a way that shows people that you are important. Shuffling along and wondering all over shows people that you don’t care what happens in your life. Walking quickly and confidently shows people that you are going somewhere and you have a purpose. Walking with purpose is a great way to let people know that you are going somewhere. It will also put you in the lead, a way of showing that you are confident and know what you are doing.
Walk Briskly with Confidence it shows Success
Smile
Some of us think that being grumpy and having a scowl on their face will show people that they are powerful and a tough leader. Not true. Smiling will attract more people to you, and with them will be more opportunities. Smiling will give people an impression that you are happy with your life. If you are happy with your life you must be successful right?
Smiling will Attract People and Opportunities
If you are not the success you want to be yet that is ok. Dress the part, look the part, act the part and you will soon find opportunities being presented to you and your success will rise.
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Professor on August 4th, 2008
What is the purpose of stuff? Does it lead to success, prosperity, and eventually happiness? I like the skit that George Carlin does on stuff. Basically stated, and far less funny, he says that your house is a place to put all your stuff. When you get to much stuff you have to buy a bigger house to store more stuff in it.
I was looking at the neighborhood this morning and I realized that all these houses were mostly air. There is not much to them, a little wood, some nails and some glass to look out of and into. But what is inside them? Stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. So what do people do with their stuff? Most of the stuff in their house people don’t even want. They want to get rid of their stuff and half of it they just have to throw away. So what is the point? Again what is the purpose of the stuff?
In my journey I am a former pack rat. I know that someone can accumulate a lot of stuff. I had a whole attic full of stuff. And it was truly stuff; I had no idea what it was. I had some sports memorabilia; I had some mementos of old travels, and then a bunch of stuff. When I was ready to purge my wife was very good to me, we did it in stages. We went through it, and she was a big help, and threw away or recycled a good portion. A week later we went through again and got rid of even more stuff. A week later a third round. Now jokingly my life is reduced to one Rubbermaid tote. It is such a relief. As a matter of fact our last move consisted of one 10 foot moving van. That is it.
So what does this have to do with success and prosperity? I would say that if you have a goal of measuring success by the amount of stuff you have you need to look inside yourself and decide what is really important. It is fun to have toys, no doubt, but ask this
- What are you spending your money on?
- What is important in measuring your success?
- What does prosperity mean to you?
- What is the ultimate goal for your life?
- Where is your time being used?
- Where is your effort being focused?
For the last two if you asked yourself this and you were focusing your effort and time on stuff then you may need to reevaluate and decide what this stuff is. In the big picture if we say stuff and you don’t know what it is then it must not be too useful.
So step back from time to time. Purge your stuff. It can be a great money maker if you sell it on EBay, Craig’s List, or Amazon. It will reduce your stress level. It will free you up to do other things. It will give you the ability to focus on what is important in your own success and prosperity.
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Professor on July 6th, 2008
Did you know that Elvis wore a medallion with a lightning bolt and the letters TCB on it? Do you know what it meant? You guessed it Taking Care of Business. Heck there was even a song about it by 60’s rock giant Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I’m not talking about “business” in a strictly financial sense, but “business” with the idea that whatever you’re shooting for success-wise, you complete your tasks.
Once you have a course plotted for success, there are going to be a million things that will vie for your attention and time. It’s not that these things haven’t been there before now, and it’s not even that the world is plotting against you succeeding. It’s just that now you have a focus and you’ll begin to notice things that seem like they shouldn’t be on your radar screen.
It doesn’t mean that you don’t do the little pesky things that are buzzing and want to be taken care of (especially if it relates to your job), just that you must not let those things pull you off-track.
So how do you stay on-task? The best way I’ve found, bar none, is to keep a log of tasks that must be accomplished as you move towards your goal. Remember to break the big tasks in to a series of small ones and to give yourself a reward-system as you do it. I use check-marks; others use stickers (sounds silly, but if it works for you, who cares?), still others use tangible rewards as they accomplish “x” number of small or large tasks.
Whatever motivates you is your key-keep it simple and keep it attainable. If the carrot is too far out in front of the horse, the horse will give up. If it’s just close enough to smell and see but just out of reach, that horse will keep moving towards the incentive.
Let’s say your goal is to lose 60 pounds. That’s quite a chunk of weight and can take a long time to accomplish. Let’s also say that you need a new wardrobe. Should you wait until all the weight is gone to buy those new clothes? Probably not-your current closet full of clothes will look awfully loose and ill-fitting if you do.
But let’s talk about small, incremental rewards that help move you towards your goal. If you lose 10 pounds, your current clothes won’t look baggy on you, but you will notice a difference in your waistband that might bother you. Don’t chuck the pants or go buy a new pair-take the current ones to a seamstress or tailor to be taken in.
It’s a small reward and saves you the money of buying new pants that you will continue to shrink out of. It also keeps you motivated. For the next 5 or 10 pounds, think about some new cosmetics or a new hairstyle-small things that will make you feel better, inside and out.
Takin’ care of business and staying on task. Now that’s the way to chart yourself to success!
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