The Cost of Faking (And What To Do About It)

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What are you like when you get to your office?

Do you act pretty much the same as you do when you’re at home or with your friends?

Or…

Do you have to shift into your work personality?

Are you more subdued at work?

Do you take fewer risks?

Are you quieter?

Do you keep your head down?

Or does it go the other way?

Do you crank up the intensity when you walk through your office doors?

Are you more bold?

Are you more aggressive?

Let me ask you this: If your friends and family were to see your “work personality” would they recognize you?

There’s a reason why I’m asking these questions.

I know too many people who…for whatever reason…aren’t living authentic lives.

What I mean is, they’re not free to be the same person at work that they are at home. They have to “get dressed up” in their work personality when they come in to the office every day.

How do people end up in these situations?

I know a handful of reasons why people get stuck acting in a way that’s not consistent with their true personality.

How People Get Stuck In A Personality That Doesn’t Fit

They don’t know their gifts. It doesn’t take me a ton of time with someone to get a feel for what their gifts and abilities are. You’re probably the same way.

But it’s hard for us to know our own gifts.

If you’ve ever watched the auditions for American Idol, you know some people really need another person to look them in the eyes and tell them: “You were born to be a singer.”

And other people need someone to look them in the eyes and tell them: “You have many gifts, but singing isn’t one of them.”

They don’t really know their personality. In my course The WOW Factor: Learning the Language of Others, we talk about how to quickly spot elements of your own personality.

For instance, you might think of yourself as an outgoing or extroverted person but then get home every night feeling worn out and frustrated after being around people all day.

If that’s the case, you might not be truly in tune with your own personality. You might think you’re outgoing when in fact you’re reserved.

They’re not clear about what they want. There’s an old story about a man who pours all his time and energy climbing a ladder…only to find the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.

Don’t you want to be sure your ladder is leaning against the right wall?

If you’re not clear about what you really want, your life will always be full of questions and you’ll never find the answers.

Too many people spend their time chasing money…when money isn’t really what they want.

Money is fine…but so many of us are driven by other things.

We’re driven by achievement…or recognition…or teamwork…or helping other people.

But too many people aren’t 100% honest about what they really want…and they end up “dressing up” as someone else from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

How long can you live that way? The answer is: it’s different for everyone.

But here’s the truth: if you’re not living an authentic life, it will take a toll.

What Happens When You Pretend To Be Someone You’re Not

You Get Tired. It takes mental, physical and emotional energy to display attributes that you don’t naturally own.

You Underperform. You will only deliver exceptional results on a consistent basis when you’re living and working in tune with your true personality style.

You Miss Opportunity. The best chances to reach your highest potential will pass you by if you’re stuck in a spot that doesn’t reflect your true identity.

The good news is, the problem isn’t permanent.

Every single day, people are discovering how to open doors that reveal the inner workings of their own personalities.

Are you in tune with your personality style?

I’ll tell you this: for a long time…I wasn’t.

I think back on the time I wasted…the people I rubbed the wrong way…the deals I could have made…

I’m not going to say I have regrets. What’s done is done. But…

…if only I had mastered this personality style stuff sooner. Imagine what could have been.

Imagine what your life could look like if you mastered this stuff.

Imagine if you could eliminate 88% of your anxiety at work.

Imagine if you had the keys to connecting with everyone around you…no matter if you’re an introvert or extrovert.

Imagine if you knew exactly how to pick the type of work that will make you look great every time.

Knowing these things…

Could that set you up to reach your highest potential?

I’m putting together my next The WOW Factor: Learning The Language of Others course right now. That’s where we dive deep into these topics.

I’ll open enrollment for my email list first, so be sure you’re SIGNED UP HERE because you don’t want to miss out.

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