5 Ways to Boost Your Personal Brand

Janet Barclay

Janet Barclay

A former professional organizer, I now eliminate stress for my clients by hosting, monitoring, and maintaining their WordPress sites so they don’t have to worry about security, downtime or performance issues. When I’m away from my desk, I enjoy reading, photography, watching movies, and cooking.

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personal brandYou’ve worked hard to get to where you are. Money’s flowing in, your family is well taken care of and you have the material things you need.

This is not an uncommon scenario, but there’s one major problem. Success is often attained at the expense of one’s personal well-being. But you don’t have to travel down this dangerous road. Instead, here are some simple actions you can take to invest in yourself and your personal brand so your professional life will continue to flourish:

1. Aim for Work-Life Balance

In America, many live to work instead of working to live. While money is a great motivator, it’s important to have the time to spend it. If you’re a workaholic but have a family at home, consider allocating a few hours each week to spend with them. It could be something as simple as a night out at your favorite restaurant, a trip to the park, movies or a family game night.

2. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

While dieting fads may seem to work in the short-term, don’t ditch the strict eating and workout regimens once you achieve your desired look. Many who do this end up gaining back the weight they lost. Instead of seeking quick fixes, adapt a healthier lifestyle by incorporating small changes to your exercise and dietary habits over time. Diving feet first into a strenuous workout plan or going on a crash diet is a recipe for failure, but starting small and stepping it up over time will yield long-term success.

3. Don’t Ignore Routine Doctor Visits

It’s easy to underestimate the significance of yearly physicals if you’re feeling just fine. But through blood work, EKGs and other routine labs your doctor might request during the visit, bigger issues could turn up. And if you’re proactive and put your health insurance to use, your wallet will thank you. Be preventive about your health.

4. Get Your ZZZs

Do you toss and turn throughout the night? Getting eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is critical to your health and your success, since sleep deprivation is linked to a multitude of health risks.

If there’s an issue weighing heavily on your mind, take steps to assess the situation and seek help from a mental health professional. Doing otherwise might cause the problem to spiral out of control and create unnecessary stress, which is related to a number of health-related issues, such as heart disease, obesity, gastrointestinal problems and in severe cases, premature death.

And if your mattress is the culprit, toss it in favor of a more comfortable option. It may cost you, but the ability to rest is priceless. Shut off your cell phone, dim the lights and eliminate any other distractions so you won’t be interrupted in the middle of the night.

5. Maintain Your Home, Vehicle and Office

You’re in your home and office nearly every day, so it’s important for it to be a comfortable place to be. Keep it picked up. Easy fixes like tossing clothes in the laundry basket when you take them off, and wiping down the counters after preparing food can make your house a tidy place to return to after work.

While it isn’t necessary to drive a luxury car, riding around in something clean and reliable is ideal. The last thing you need is to ruin your professional image by arriving late to an appointment as a result of a car trouble or a tire blowout. Maintain your car with regular car check-ups and regular tire rotations. Or if it’s been a while, replace your tires. Keep your car washed and waxed. Vacuum the inside and keep it trash-free and smelling fresh.

Bottom line:

Photo by Dirima / Shutterstock.com

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14 Comments

  1. Julie Bestry Julie Bestry on November 27, 2014 at 12:18 am

    And never stop learning, because an active, engaged mind is a healthy mind!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 27, 2014 at 5:56 am

      Julie, that is so true! And if you’re always learning, you’ll never get bored either.

  2. Avatar Tammy on December 3, 2014 at 9:57 pm

    I love #5. Such a good point. I spend an enormous amount of time in my vehicle, and while I keep it fairly tidy sometimes it just needs a good deep clean:) I recently treated myself to having my vehicle detailed inside and out. Best investment in my personal satisfaction I’ve made in awhile!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on December 4, 2014 at 7:05 am

      My car is usually tidy but I don’t spend a lot of time in it, so paying to have it cleaned – outside and especially inside – feels almost frivolous. On the other hand, it does trap in dust, dog hair, dead leaves that blow in, etc. so it really is worth it to invest in a proper cleaning once in a while – especially if I’m going to have a client or colleague in the car with me.

  3. Avatar Seana Turner on November 21, 2015 at 7:25 am

    And nourish your soul, as the outside of who we are reflects what’s going on inside…

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 21, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      Good point! What is it they say? “Healthy mind, healthy body.”

  4. Avatar Sabrina Quairoli on November 21, 2015 at 8:06 am

    This is a great reminder. Thanks for sharing. I need to get my sleep patterns back in order. Daylight savings time ended and it takes me weeks to get back to the right time. I go to bed late and wake up early. It’s annoying. Today, was the first time in a few weeks that I actually went to bed early. It really did help.

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 21, 2015 at 1:57 pm

      Those time changes are brutal and seem so unnecessary. I’m glad you’re finally getting back in sync!

  5. Avatar Jill Robson on November 21, 2015 at 8:40 am

    Janet, I totally agree about being proactive with your health. if your health is good you can cope so much better with life’s issues.

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 21, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      That’s right! When I’m well-rested, I feel like I could take on the world, but when I’m overtired, the slightest little thing going wrong can drive me over the deep end.

  6. Avatar Sarah Soboleski on November 21, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    I’m such a firm believer in getting your Zzz’s! I work hard to get my 8hrs and I’m a big fan of naps!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 22, 2015 at 6:29 am

      I wish I could nap! I’m generally a pretty good sleeper, but no matter how tired I get, I can’t seem to sleep during the day. Even if I stay up much later than usual, I’m awake crazy early, so it takes me days to catch up or to adapt to a time change.

  7. Avatar Hilda Rodgers on November 23, 2015 at 11:40 am

    This is a great reminder Janet! I’m not great at getting my zzz’s… too much of a night owl but also having morning commitments that I have to be up for. I never thought about it being connected to my brand but it’s really true. Thanks!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on November 23, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      I wish I was more of a night owl! I’m up so early in the morning that I’m lucky to see 10 PM… 🙂

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