Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb
According to the Cambridge dictionary, “if someone or something stands/sticks out like a sore thumb, everyone notices them because they are very different from the people or things around them.”
This has been the underlying theme of my success. I make every effort to stand out in a good way – here’s how:
Make sure you look good – and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Wear clean clothes that aren’t wrinkled, brush your hair, trim your nails and make sure they are clean, brush your teeth, and polish your shoes. Attention to the details that make up the way you present yourself also reflects on your attention to detail with work. When I was in grad school, I made sure to try to look good during finals week – it gave my patients a sense of ease that everything was under control and they were in good hands.
Acknowledge your small victories. Small victories can seem silly when you're busy trying to think big. However, the small victories will help you feel good and keep confidence levels up.
Small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain that are responsible for reward and motivation. This increase in androgen receptors increases the influence of testosterone, which further increases your confidence and your eagerness to tackle future challenges. When you have a series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last for months. Confident people stick out.
Schedule food, exercise and sleep. Think about it - when you are feeling physically fit, well rested and are eating a balanced diet, chances are that you feel better about yourself compared to when you fill up on junk food and don't get enough exercise. This is because the mind and body are inextricably linked. Not only can our bodies be affected by what's going on in our mind, our bodies can change how we feel emotionally.
Good nutrition makes you feel good, keeps you healthy, and helps build confidence. Eating complex carbohydrate-rich foods make the brain receive more serotonin - a hormone that makes you feel positive, relaxed and confident. Foods or drinks that are high in sugar or caffeine can cause mood fluctuations, which can leave you feeling lethargic, irritable and anxious.
Some very smart people at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically and athletically. They also rated their body image and self-esteem higher.
The most interesting aspect is that rather than the physical changes in their bodies being responsible for the uptick in confidence, it was the immediate, endorphin-fueled positivity from exercise that made all the difference. Schedule your exercise to make certain it happens, or the days will just slip away.
Sleep is extremely important. When you sleep your brain gets rid of toxic proteins from its neurons that are by-products of neural activity when you're awake. Unfortunately, your brain can only remove them while you're asleep. So, when you don't get enough sleep, the toxic proteins remain in your brain cells.
This impairs your ability to think -- no amount of caffeine can fix this. Self-control, attention and memory are all reduced when you don't get enough quality sleep. A lack of sleep also raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present, which is a major productivity killer. Ambition often makes you feel like you must sacrifice sleep to stay productive, but sleep deprivation diminishes your productivity so much throughout the day that you're better off sleeping.
Learn something that will give you an edge and apply it. Bring something different to the table. If you want to stick out, by definition, you can’t be like everyone else. Make an effort to constantly learn new things. It’s so easy to blend in with everyone else.
However, blending in will make you average and you’ll have an average life. Chances are that you want more for yourself. So, do more for yourself. If everyone around you has the exact same resume, it’s going to be tough to get a promotion. Figure out what kind of skills your company is going to need and go learn that.
Standing out requires confidence and it opens so many doors.
Try it for 90 days and see how your life changes.