'Let it be easy' as the mantra of your personal branding
"Live, love, learn and leave a legacy"

Let it be easy… That was my mantra during my summer holidays in Spain. In my previous blog I invited you to summer-ize your stories. In the philosophy of Practice what your preach I am sharing with you today the family summer tradition I continued during our holidays.

In the past we made numerous roadtrips in the US, in Canada, in Indonesia,… We never wanted to be too long at the same place and we desired to discover all shades of nature, new cultures, vibrant cities,… As a planner I always had an overview of all the places we wished to visit. I still fancy to do that again in the future. But reflecting back I've always sensed a kind of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), the feeling I needed to visit and explore as much as possible. Because when would we have the chance again to go back?

So since the arrival of little Lilly our holiday traditions changed a bit. We are fortunate that we can go back at least every year to our Spanish getaway where JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) rules…

The little house near the beach is situated between Alicante and Murcia. So instead of going on a roadtrip, for the last 6 years we have spent at least 2 weeks during the summer in our comforting Spanish cocoon with Lilly. After all that time we know the ins and outs of the area with as a consequence: No shoulds anymore, anything goes…

No long to do lists are necessary, but we do always make a priority list with still some new places to discover and maybe some gems we want to revisit. But without any planning. Just like in non-holiday life, a to do list makes you feel busy. A priority list helps you to look at the time you have so you can choose where you want to spend your precious energy.

Also, when you are more in a tradition mode without the ‘shoulds’, it frees up some mental space. Indeed, at a certain moment inspiration was flowing. So I held a brainstorm session with myself when my loved ones were playing in the swimming pool. An overload of ideas came to mind with a lot of post-its as a result. And as of then, every time something came to mind (in my sleep, next to the swimming pool, on the beach, in an inspiring city, when reading, during a walk,…) I added a post-it. So I went home with a bunch of ideas, an unintended consequence of JOMO and my Let it be easy-mindset. (Now make a priority list out of those ideas, Karolien!)

During my family holidays I fulfilled 3 out of the 4 human needs Stephen Covey stipulated:

• To live, with food as my number one priority! I have definitely added some restaurants to my priority list for next time.
• To love, just the 3 of us in our safe cocoon enjoying each other’s company.
• To learn, because a holiday without books is like a pub with no beer to me. So a mental need always needs to be fulfilled as well…
• I didn’t pay attention to the spiritual need of leaving a legacy. No pressure whatsoever, just ‘being’.

You get it, our summer holidays tradition is about relaxing, not keeping a schedule and having a Let it be easy-mindset...

And why shouldn’t Let it be easy become the mantra of your personal branding as well? I already elaborated in a previous newsletter on the mindset blocks a lot of people have when it comes to showing their personality, which most of the time complicates things. What would it be like if you worried less?

• Find clarity to set your priorities: You know my drill in the meantime. It is so important to know yourself and your personality. In that way you can let your personal brand flourish based on what matches with you as a person. Once you know your uniqueness, everything you do should first go through your personal branding filter, allowing you to set the right priorities.
• Create simplicity: A lot of people think they need to be ‘on’ and ‘on brand’ all the time. Although consistency is important, you share your stories at your own rhythm. No more FOMO when you don’t appear enough on social media. No more ‘shoulds’. Be intentional with how you spend your time.
• Focus on the human needs of Love (build a network around you to grow as a person and to develop your personal brand), Learn (grow your personal brand by sharing your stories and learnings and learn from others) and Leave a legacy (the exit strategy of your personal brand is your legacy, your purpose). And then Live will come spontaneously…
• And of course, don’t take yourself and your personal brand too seriously. Slow down, play, explore and fall in love with your priorities. 

Voilà, this was the story about my family summer tradition and how personal branding can be easy. My desire for you? Live, love, learn and leave a legacy… 

Want to find clarity to set your priorities and work on your personal brand? Join my free email training 'Know your brilliance': the distinct value you and only you can offer to your audience, allowing you to fascinate them! With 5 daily email challenges you will uncover what makes you truly exceptional and most valuable to others in your own natural way.