I recently came across an interesting fact: horses have the ability to see almost 360 degrees around themselves because of the placement of their eyes on their head. This gives horses the ability to see movements and objects all around them, not just what’s in front of them. What an amazing ability!
Personal branding is about seeing the past (to appreciate it), understanding where you and who you are now, and creating a plan you desire for the future. This is a 360-degree perspective on your life, career, and goals.
Are you looking at your personal brand from this perspective? Here are some tips to get you oriented towards a 360-view:
- What events or experiences in your past best prepared you for where you are and where you are headed? Did you suffer hardship? Did you excel? Were you gifted with unique talents that you mastered? Were you always taking care of others? Look through your past and identify the highlights you believe uniquely qualified you for the future you are creating – the good times and the bad. Your past is your past, and you can’t change it. But you have the ability to learn from your history and identify the gifts your past offers you for the future.
- Find a quiet place, and think about your life today. What are you most proud of? What is it about your work, personal, and social life that makes you smile? Are you where you imagined (or hoped) you’d be at this age? If not, what diversions did you take, and are you glad you did? Wherever you are right now – whether you are excited about your current life or you’re working on changing direction – ask yourself: Who inspires me? I believe life is much more interesting when you are inspired. Identify people in your life, on TV, or whose work you follow who fill an inspirational need in your life.
- Think about the future. What would you like to be your legacy? Clarify how you want to be remembered: How you made people around you feel, what you stood for and fought for. Your Desired Brand, as I call it, is the YOU you will be working towards. Consider how you want to be perceived at the end of your life. Once you have a sense of who you want to be, then turn the lens back at where you are today and create the path to get to your legacy. If you want to be seen as someone who was compassionate and generous, then ask yourself how you need to live today to build towards that brand.
My company name is “LIDA360” because I value the holistic view of life, business, and brands. If we try to look at our career in a silo of experiences, jobs, and skills, we miss the big picture of what we offer to the world!
