You’re Gonna Get A Reputation (if you keep doing that)
When I was in elementary school, one of my classmates could turn his eyelids inside and out. It was absolutely gross, yet it was the type of thing that everyone would ask him to do every day. He was well-known around school as “that kid who could turn his eyelids inside and out.” (he’s now a LinkedIn contact and knows what I’m referring to!)
Another friend was super fast and would crush it when we did the 50-yard dash. He was that fast guy — that was his reputation. As for me, I was obsessed with sketching. I won a contest by drawing a then-much-younger Elton John on the cover of his original greatest hits album. The picture was hung in our elementary school lobby for all to see upon entering. I was proud to be known as that kid that could draw.
What were you known for? Or more importantly, what ARE you known for today. Like it or not, the habits we form and how we show up in this world create our reputation. What’s your reputation? Is it one you’re happy with or one you want to change? The really cool news is we get to decide! We truly can change our habits and thus, what we’re known for.
There’s some slightly less good news if you’re thinking this can happen overnight. As a matter of fact, you may have heard that it takes just 21 days to change or even form a habit. Think again. This 21 day myth came out of work done by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. He was observing how long his patients took to get comfortable with a new image after surgery. So while kind of relevant, this isn’t exactly about forming lifelong habits.
As James Clear details in his book Atomic Habits, a more recent study by Phillippa Lally revealed that on average, it can take more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. How long it takes a new habit takes can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally’s study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.
Reality check: You’ll need to put in the work and be a bit more patient.
So, what do you want to be known for?
- Do you want to be known for working hard, consistently getting results and helping others to do the same?
- Are you that person who’s habitually reading, constantly learning and always in growth mode?
- Are you known for always having service as your guiding principle?
Maybe it’s something else entirely — the above are some of my favorites. No worries. It’s completely up to you and it’s out there for you if you put in the work and live with a sense of enthusiasm and possibility.
I’ll wrap this up with a line from one of my favorite all-time movies. And kudos and a free coaching consultation if you can guess where this is from: “It’s not who I am underneath this mask that matters, it’s what I do that defines me”. OK, that mask part probably gave it away and I actually think it’s pretty important who you are as well. But “what you do” every day consistently, day in and day out, defines you and makes the difference. What do you want to be known for? What reputation do you want to start building TODAY?
If you know the answer to the trivia question or what some help with accountability in building great habits and an outstanding reputation, reach out to me at rgrabel@southwesternconsulting.com
