Are You Making A Great First Impression On YOURSELF?
Working with women stepping into the spotlight means that I talk to my clients a lot about first impressions. We talk about how they would like to be perceived. Some of the responses I hear most often are professional, polished, approachable, as an expert … and the list goes on. Rarely do I hear someone say I want to be perceived as the woman who looked really good! But it really goes hand in hand. Remember the old saying “if you look good then you feel good, and if you feel good you do good”? It’s true. Think about the last time you worked from home and didn’t bother to get showered and dressed as you would if you were going to an office. How productive were you? Did you accomplish everything on your to do list? Did you feel more tired all day? Your wardrobe affects you more than you might like to admit. I’m not saying you need to be dressed to the nines every day, but you should want to be the best you can be.
Here is a quotation from Lisa Earle McLeod’s column that she wrote recently titled Can Cool Clothes Make You Successful? “As a professional speaker, I know that first impressions are important, so I’ve always paid some level of attention to my wardrobe. However, as my life got busier (and my body got lumpier), looking decent had become yet another item on my seemingly endless to-do list. Good suit, check; brush teeth, check; back-up batteries, check.
I had forgotten that one of the people I was making an impression on was me.”
I am certain that she is not the only woman who feels this way. It’s true that when you put on a stylish suit or dress that fits beautifully, and coordinate just the right shoes and jewelry, you walk a bit taller and you FEEL an unshakeable confidence! There is a difference in how you present yourself when you’re coming from that place of confidence. I have watched this transformation many times — women staring at themselves in the mirror and wondering who that confident, professional woman is staring back at them!
Looking great and feeling that confidence is key to your success. It does not replace the need for education and work ethic, but let’s face it, people are visual by nature and your appearance is a form of communication. It speaks for you before you have the opportunity to say a word. As Ms. McLeod said, one of the people you’re making that impression on is yourself. When you create your wardrobe for success you are telling yourself that you’re worth it and that you matter. It’s an investment in your success and your self worth.
With temperatures hitting 100℉ and the humidity high for the last week, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has felt more like Cape Coral, Florida. Our usually temperate New England weather has turned tropical, and Jane Austen’s words could not describe me better. It’s difficult to look and feel elegant when your makeup is dripping down your face and your clothes are sticking to your body like damp rags. This summer’s Fire is melting my Metal!
While the element of Fire brings fame, fun and sexuality to you, it is also associated with the season of summer, when nature is in full bloom. Fire energy brings out the best in everyone and everything. It lights up your life just like fireworks light up the night sky! So if you want to have some real fun this summer you can start by bringing some FIRE energy into your wardrobe and style.
