Most clothes have a tag that advises how you should wash and iron them. Labels on silk clothes say the item will burn if you iron it. The tag creates an expectation of what will occur if you treat the clothing item in a certain way. Similarly we also have labels that have been placed on us. We have the choice to either embrace or resist them.
I grew up with a terrible stutter. Classmates would make fun of me and so in turn I ended up being a reserved kid. I wasn’t shy but I was quiet. My teachers would often say to my folks “He’s smart but very shy”. Until that became the song that everyone sang. With time I started singing it too by accepting that to be what I’m known for. That led to me closing myself off to a number of opportunities that needed me to speak up, have my picture taken or stand in front of a crowd. Shy people aren’t known for being outgoing and so I complied with the norm. Eventually I “found” myself and now I’m a public speaker. It wasn’t an easy stage to reach because it involved rejecting something I had carried all my life. Let’s look at the thought process that will allow for reflection through a couple of questions.
Do you have a negative label?
Is it fair that you have been given that tag?
What image do you want to have instead?
Once you have answers to these, you need to then map a path that leads to the brand that you desire to have instead. The building blocks needed to set that up include:
Intention
The first ingredient is deciding to set up a specific brand or perception about you. Your behaviour and decision making should be all done with the end goal in mind. Nike has a branding strategy; there is no reason why you shouldn’t have one too.
Definition
Your desired image should be crystal clear. We can summarize this into how you dress, your social media presence and what events you feature in.
Strategy
Now that you know where you want to go, you then fill in the gaps around what you need to get there. This will involve upskilling, possibly amendments to your wardrobe and making time for reviewing if your approach is effective.
No label is permanent; it’s up to you to define your brand. Gauge the label that’s been put on you and make sure you are proud to be known by it.