Growing up my mom would always tell me, “you get out of it what you put into it.” At first this didn’t make sense to me and I’d roll my eyes, and move along. But over the years it clicked one day and I had a paradigm shift. It is true. It stands true in the general sense of the phrase, and also if applied to a specific topic. In the case of personal branding, “you get out of it what you put in to it”.
As a netizen in the online world, your opportunity to collaborate in real time is only a few clicks away. We are surrounded by social networking tools, and freely available resources, such as this blog, that give you some best practices to succeed in your career, life and beyond.
Things to avoid
Not participating-
If you never get in there and experiment, or try new things, then how will you find what you like? Or how will you grow? It’s no different online than it is offline. Show up to the game and play it. If you never reply or participate in the conversation online, whether it’s on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, don’t expect others to converse with you, or vocally care about your accomplishments.
Sleeping at the wheel-
Obviously no one would advocate you driving while half asleep, or sleeping at the wheel. Building a strong personal brand takes time and effort. Many of the most accomplished personal brands today started off with no fans, and no blog readers. How they took it up a notch is what differentiates them from those that sleep at the wheel. (Just don’t overdo it and deprive yourself from sleep.)
Staring at the floor-
Peel your eyes off the floor and look around you. Get a sense of who you are by your surroundings. Many of the places we put ourselves shape us. If you hang out in the same community all the time and it’s stale, why not peek around the corner and see what else is happening. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Action items to aim for
What would a blog post on being proactive be without actionable items? Here are a few items to shoot for in your endeavor to begin getting the most out of your efforts, whether it’s career building, entrepreneurship, or succeeding in college.
Spend time with yourself daily-
While you can learn so much from others and their experiences, how about experiencing some things on your own? Isn’t that always the best way to learn? History can teach us what not to repeat, but we are making our own history by living it now.
Actionable item examples: read a book on a topic of your interest, go on a walk and ponder your goals, journalize your thoughts.
Boost up another person daily-
People that call attention to others in a positive manner are usually those who have the confidence to stand in the limelight a bit. They know the value of lifting up another, that will increase the respect they garner and their social standing with others. Don’t be afraid to do this, others will return the favor. Think good karma.
Actionable item examples: Make an effort to click the Like button on worthy Facebook updates, and re-tweet useful information on Twitter. Offer a hearty review on LinkedIn, without being asked first.
Build up your portfolio and let it shine-
Create a hub, a home, for all of your projects, accomplishments, goals hopes and dreams, and links to social media accounts. An easy way to do this may be through getting starting with your own blog, or at the very least a website that you control. Not only are you building a hub, but also a place for others to find you and relate back to what you are. The possibilities are endless with the online world, but do what is easiest and most comfortable for you. The Brand-Yourself crew makes it easy to create a remarkable web presence.
Thank your Mom for her advice
Mothers Day is just around the corner (May 9th). This weekend I will thank Mom for showing me the value of getting more out of life, my career, my goals and dreams by putting my all into it.
Question: What are you doing to put your all into it?
About the Author: Mark Mathson puts his all into implementing Internet marketing campaigns. He enjoys conversing on Twitter and growing and adding value to his network on LinkedIn.
