You Will Be Judged by Your Cover

One of the key reasons I have been able to pull myself out of poverty and into a life filled with personal and professional success is that I have always maintained an extremely high level of vigor in everything I do. Even when I found myself slipping and becoming bitter, acting less than enthused, and holding pity parties (that no one showed up for) I found a way to refresh, revitalize, and reenergize myself. I didn't and still don't depend on someone else to invigorate me. You can't maximize your success or attract success if you are miserable, empty of energy, and negative. Misery has enough company, it doesn't need you to join. Invigorating yourself is one of the eight precepts of a formula for success I developed called Fresh PASSION, which is a fresh take on Preparing yourself, Aspiring to reach your goals, Staying laser-focused, Selling your value, Invigorating yourself, Omitting the negative, and Nailing the brand. n
Invigorating yourself will give you a huge leg up in making the all-important "three-second impression." In the three seconds it takes you to walk through a door and extend your hand to someone for the first time, that person has already made irreversible judgments about you. You send out hundreds of signals about yourself, and people read those signals and react to them long before you've had a chance to say anything of substance. n
Success in the new millennium comes to people who are versatile and can make positive impressions in any group. Whether you are a self-employed professionals who have to constantly win new clients and customers to stay afloat, an unemployed individual in search of your next job, or an employed individual who desires to move into another job, the ability to make a positive, invigorated first impression is crucial. To ensure those judgments are favorable, you need to have self-confidence, a positive attitude, and a neat appearance. n
Ask your friends, boss, colleagues, and other trusted members of your personal network to close their eyes and open them when you walk into the room and give their first impression of you. Compare this impression with your intended impression and work on closing the gaps. You can't see the big picture if you are in the frame; get help from someone who can tell you what you need to hear. n
Also remember that the greatest temptation to give up, to slack off, and to lose sight of your goals will come just before you are about to succeed. Stay invigorated about achieving exponential personal and professional success—be it for yourself, your career, your organization, or your business. n
Remember, success in the new millennium comes to people who are versatile and can make positive impressions in any group. None of this is possible without a constant flow of vigor and confidence that exudes from you and is obvious to everyone you come in contact with. You can't afford to allow this turbulent economy with its eroding 401(k)s (actually more like 201(k)s) deplete your vigor—you must stay invigorated in order to make decisions and take actions that will lead to your exponential success. So stay invigorated and make those first three seconds meaningful! n