Craft Your Image

Carefully craft your image. Not only in the digital space, but in the real world—who are you? What do people know about you?

By image, I don't mean a hollow representation of who you are. It has to be exactly who you are. It is through your actions that you can craft that image.

Why is this important? Because that's your reputation. That's going to be your track record. It will influence the kind of opportunities that open for you, how people treat you, and how your slip-ups will be accepted as small dots on a clean record.

If you're excellent at what you do, then mistakes make you human. They don't lead people to question your competence, because you've got so many achievements that prove your expertise.

If you're someone who's usually five minutes early for meetings, then the occasional tardiness will be attributed to heavy traffic and unexpected circumstances, rather than typical behavior.

If you're someone who's always honest and unafraid to state things as they are, then people won't doubt what you say, even when it sounds impossible. It must be true.

People will treat you according to how they see you. So, be deliberate about your image, and protect it by staying consistent in your actions.