from the Blog

I have an idea that is just plain crazy, but at the same time has been incredibly impactful for me. I am sure that it will provide a positive impact for you too. In fact, this may be the most powerful thing that you do this year.

This week we are going to take you way outside of your comfort zone. I am going to challenge you to write a personal “About Me” page.

 

What prompted this crazy idea?

Several weeks ago I was meeting with the graphic designer for a major overhaul of theNextStep website (by the way, she and her team at Caledon Virtual are magicians – you have to check this out). While discussing the migration of page content, I recall joking . . . .

“please keep the About Me section as it is – when I am having a rough day I pull up the About Me page to remind me of how incredibly awesome I am“.

We both had a great laugh . . . .  FYI – just in case you are wondering, she did agree that I am Awesome. (Always agree with your client).

You are awesome too, and have an awesome story. You should create an About Me page to refer to and reflect on your own Awesomeness.

The About Me website page is just an example of what got me thinking about this crazy idea. It is structured to a very specific audience and purpose and probably not appropriate for your personal About Me page. Your personal About Me page is all about you and for you.

 

The exercise of creating your About Me page can be very empowering. It answers the questions:

• Who am I?

• What is my identity?

• What do I believe in?

• Who believes in me?

• How will I change the world?

 

Your page, when finished, will be a compilation of hours of reflection. Please don’t let the hours thing keep you from starting.

Where to start? A good starting point is probably your business or personal resume. This is only a starting point. 90% of  your resume is a list of your hard skills, degrees, certifications, and accomplishments. Remember that opening section on your resume – where you make it personal for that potential employer – you know the part that you struggled to write. That is what we are going for on your personal About Me page. About Me is much more than your degrees, certifications, and accomplishments. It is intended to be a reflection of who you are at a much deeper level.

 

Some ideas to get you started:

• Name: I like Tom T, Inc. (after all, it is all about me)

• My Purpose Statement: I help ______________ do, know, or understand ___________ so they can ___________________.

“I help high potential individuals understand their greatest talents and abilities and apply them in a meaningful way so that they can live intentionally and leave a legacy of success.”

• Affirmation:  What gets you going? How about “I am a Rock Star and all around Awesome person.” You are!

• Family: Our families are our people – they are our why. I think you should include photos and at least one funny or uplifting story about your spouse and each of your kids.

• Other Family: We don’t want to forget our extended family – especially if someone has really been a personal inspiration to you. Don’t forget those photos – a whole row of thumbnail pics would be cool.

• Mission / Vision: This may be a little bit tougher and may require some deeper reflection with your coach or mentor. For me – ‘. . . unlocking the awesomeness of those I work with‘ and ‘Advancing the Success of Teams, Careers, and Lives‘.

• Core Values: Integrity, Honesty, Passion . . . you get the picture.

• What Do I Offer the World? It is easy to focus on the hard skills – they come right off of your resume. The soft skills are where the most impact is – try to incorporate these into meaningful statements.
  • Hard Skills (degrees, certifications, etc – if you must)
  • Soft Skills (empathetic listener, mentor, friend, passionate about my kids, passionate about my work, my clients, etc.)

• Favorite Quotes / Affirmations: What quotes or affirmations help set you back on the right path? What inspires you? This can be as long or short as you want. I would recommend 2-4 quotes.

“As he spoke less, he heard more . . . listening, observing, learning.”

• What Do My People Say? Years ago I was encouraged to keep a file of those really nice things that people have said or shared about me. I have captured things from personal cards, emails, conversations, and even facebook comments. One of my favorite compliments – from an engineering client . . .

“you are not like most engineers”

• Who are the Influencers in my Life? It is way too easy to overlook those people who have influenced us, those persons who have lent us an ear, or who we can count on to answer the phone in the middle of the night. It is uplifting to me to have this list and by placing it on my About Me page, a reminder of how lucky I am.

 

Your About Me page is a great place to own who you are and celebrate it.

Your About Me page will be a living breathing document. Over the last several weeks – formulating this post in my head – and some personal reflection – my personal About Me page is about to get a serious update.

 

This week . . . .

• Open a blank Word file.

• Type in the sample list of headings.

• Fill in the easy parts to get you started.

• Print and carry around in your folder so that you can open it up and jot notes as thoughts come to you.

 

 

. . . . go have an Awesome Week!

Tom Trabue

theNextStep