Newsletter: Why?

One of my favorite Annie Lennox songs is WHY.

‘Why’ is all about regret. I read somewhere that one of the biggest things on peoples deathbeds is: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected me to live.

The way I see it, there is no other way to have a happy life then to be yourself. That means to be honest and truly follow your own career path. We work most of our lives, it might as well be what we really want.

Last week I was at a seminar where I heard one of ABN AMRO’s top women, Vanessa Hart, speak about how men are different from women when it comes to their careers. I remember her saying that men are more upfront and honest about what they want to achieve. And they are very VISUAL and LOUD about this. They knock on their managers door and let them know when they want a raise or a better position. Men know they need to plan for the future and they also make sure the important people know their needs and wants.

Often I hear women say: “I am sure they will notice my work”, OR “my work speaks for itself”, OR “I don’t want to come across as being arrogant”, OR “I don’t think it is necessary to talk about what I did”.

Let me tell you one thing {!firstname_fix}: if you want people to recognize your achievements, you need to TELL about them. If you want people to know your goals, you need to tell them, and if you want to get that promotion, you have to ask for it. Like Vanessa says: “start knocking on doors that matter and let your voice be heard”.
It’s all about changing your perspective. Personal branding (what you are known for) is a way for you to achieve your goals. If that is what you truly want.