Four Uncomfortably Easy Ways to Find Your Inspiration
Before you set any short-term personal brand goals, try these creative techniques. And orientate yourself for success.
Do the words ‘find your passion’ paralyse you? In this blog, I’ll share some systematic ways to find inspiration for your personal brand.
One of my favourite movies is A Walk to Remember, based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel. The 2002 film was released while I was in high school and stole my heart. Though my friends teased me, I loved it.
The movie tells a story of an awkward high school girl, Jamie. She finds love with the most popular boy in school, Landon. It is revealed she is terminally ill and living out her bucket list.
As an adult, I finally understand my love affair with this film. It speaks to my deepest motivations around personal brand coaching - leaving a legacy you’re proud of. Jamie is intentional about everything she wants and creates it in the time she has left.
The film is inspired by Sparks’ late younger sister, whom he lost to cancer. Making it even more potent.
It carries an important message well understood in business - beginning with the end in mind.
Here’s four ways to find the inspiration for your personal brand.
Tip #1. Find your muse
You are the Creative Director of your personal brand. So, you have the power to reset, reimagine and recreate it as you please. But, creative internal work takes inspiration. That’s where muses work their magic.
Ancient Greeks believed muses were Goddesses who bestowed inspiration upon humans. So, ask yourself who are the modern-day muses of your personal brand?
In my personal brand coaching, I ask my clients:
Dead or alive, can you think of potential muses you’re personally connected to?
Whom do you admire from afar?
What do you admire most about them?
What values do your muses possess? Hint: perception is projection - you likely hold the same values.
As they have for all great artists, muses inspire you to reach your full potential.
Tip #2. Find the person you wanted to be
How do you reconnect with your roots? Consult your childhood self:
Go back as far as possible.
What are two examples of what you wanted to be when you grew up?
Why?
What are the common themes among your examples?
What does this say about your authentic values?
Most of my personal brand coaching clients laugh at their answers. That is, until reaching the connection to their values and current career. It can also bring awareness to anything lacking and driving dissatisfaction.
This is an exercise for your imagination. So, give it a chance to play.
Tip #3. Begin with the end in mind
In Stephen Covey's best-seller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 2 says:
Begin with the end in Mind
Create a clear and compelling vision for your future.
My favourite line of A Walk to Remember was always “It’s like the wind, I can’t see it but I can feel it”. It’s believing what you can’t make sense of in the physical world yet.
As Covey states, everything is created twice:
First mentally
Then physically
Just ask any artist, designer or CEO. With a strong vision, you then simply reverse engineer your path forward.
As Covey popularised, a profound way to do this is by imagining your own funeral.
Using this, imagine:
Who will be there?
What will they say about you?
What do you wish they said?
The funeral exercise helps you:
Understand your definition of success
Understand your authentic personal brand values
Become aware of what contributions to the world you want to be remembered for
Now, like in A Walk to Remember, create your own bucket list. Before you write any daily, monthly, yearly or five-year goals, these are your life goals. Skip this step and you risk setting your compass in the wrong direction. The road to regret is paved with good intentions.
Thankfully, you still have the luxury of being in the land of the living. I’m sure the graveyards would tell you this is one of life’s greatest privileges.
Tip #4. Write a bucket list, then 10x it
Once you have your bucket list, ‘10x it’. This is inspired by New York Times best-selling author Grant Carbone’s book The 10x Rule. Carbone says to:
Set goals that are 10x greater than what you think you can achieve
Set actions that are 10x greater than what you think is required
Carbone identifies his four biggest mistakes in goal setting:
Setting goals too low
Underestimating actions, resources, money and energy required
Competing not dominating
Underestimating resilience required
People tend to overestimate what they can achieve in a year. Yet, underestimate what they can achieve in five, 10 or more years.
Setting goals too low sets you up for failure due to the insufficient level of motivation it creates.
Remember Apple’s iconic ‘Think Different’ campaign? It said:
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
So, be the rebel that breaks the rules.
The next time your personal brand is stuck in a rut, come back to these creative techniques. Remind yourself of the person you were born to be.
Ask yourself, are you proud of the legacy you’re creating?
