How to Show Up as Your Best Self Daily

How to show up as your best self daily.

“You can never be overdressed or over-educated.” ~Oscar Wilde

Something I’ve been working on lately is how I show up for the day.

What I mean by “how I show up” is how I dress and what level of effort I put into my appearance.

I remember back in high school, I used to plan out what I was going to wear the next day and I would even document what I wore in my school planner.

Once, I went a whole 9-week grading period without wearing the same thing twice.

I was so proud.

While my behavior was probably (ok, definitely) a little extreme, there is a lot to be said for putting effort into how you look.

It’s not about being high-maintenance, striving for perfection, or trying to be the best-dressed person in the room.

In fact, there’s nothing superficial or shallow about it.

Rather, it’s about feeling good and showing up as the person you’re becoming.

How you show up every day is a major contributing factor toward the results you’re striving for.

But there are other reasons why showing up for your day, every day, matters.

How to Show Up as Your Best Self Daily

Why it Matters

Attraction

Who and what you are is who and what you attract.

What-and who-do you want to attract?

I had a wakeup call recently when I realized showing up somewhere looking like a zombie was hindering my productivity, my attitude, and my personal growth.

Just now exiting a season of stress and mild depression, I now look back and realize my lack of effort was contributing to my problems.

It also diminished from the way people saw me.

I don’t intentionally want to show up somewhere looking like I grabbed the first clothes I saw in my closet and my hair in a tangled ponytail.

But, unfortunately, sometimes showing up as the person I want to be is hard.

Look Good, Feel Good

I’ve had to accept my life will be so much better when I have the discipline to get ready for my day, every day.

Even if I’m just working from home.

There is something to be said for that boost of confidence you receive when you’re happy with your appearance.

Courage is strengthened. Fear is diminished. Attitude becomes positive.

All the good attributes you want to hold onto throughout the duration of every day to keep you operating at your maximum potential.

You cannot wait until you’re the person you want to become to start dressing as that person.

Start now.

The Benefits

Your opinion of yourself is improved.

A little hair and makeup can go a long way. As does an outfit that suits who you are.

I was recently on the planning committee for two events put on through my church.

One was a women-in-business event, and the other was a faith-based conference that we do yearly.

For the women-in-business event, I dusted off a jumpsuit I haven’t worn in years, pulled out a pair of heels and took the time to do my hair and makeup.

I felt like a million dollars.

But not in a superficial or competitive way-my confidence was boosted, and I felt more capable in my role on the events committee, and that positively reflected on my performance during the event.

Had I shown up in walking-zombie mode, which unfortunately has happened way too frequently for me lately, I would have not enjoyed the event.

My performance would have suffered.

I’d have been biding my time until it ended, hiding in the corner.

Document one day where you woke up at the last minute, hurried to get ready, went out into the world looking disheveled.

How did you feel?

What was your performance like? Did it suffer?

Then document another day where you got up early enough to shower, select an outfit, and do your hair and makeup.

What differences did you notice between the day you left the house looking disheveled?

You are ready for opportunities.

Have you ever been somewhere with a group of friends and someone pulls out their phone and springs an impromptu photo op on you, but you “look bad” and don’t want to be in the picture?

I have lost count how many times I was that person.

Or what about the time you had the opportunity to introduce yourself to a respected person you really wanted to meet, but because you didn’t take the time to get ready that morning, you feel intimidated and don’t introduce yourself?

By taking the time to show up as the person you want to be, you make yourself ready for opportunities, no matter what the day holds.

You are training yourself to become the person you want to become.

This isn’t about being pretty or attractive-it’s about lining up your appearance with who you desire to be.

It’s about feeling good in your skin and boosting your confidence.

Dress for the person you are becoming.

It’s also ok to be a little overdressed, if it means appearing as the person you want to become.

You have more energy.

When you look good, you feel good.

By “look good” I don’t mean looking good by society’s standards.

I mean “looking good” by your standards.

There is nothing superficial about dressing in the way that makes you happy.

For you, that might mean wearing pink, heels, dresses, or a business suit.

Everyone’s different-just stay true to who you are.

How to Start

It can be tough to fully implement this change in your life.

I can tell you that right now, my morning routine of getting ready could use a major overhaul.

So, I’ve decided to take baby steps and implement one thing at a time.

If you are ready to overhaul your getting-ready routine, start small.

Maybe you need to pick out your clothes the night before so when you wake up the next morning you already have your outfit at the ready.

On the weekends, I used to plan everything I was going to wear for the coming week and set the clothes on the bed in the spare bedroom.

That way, clothes became one less thing to think about in the morning.

While I quit doing this for a while, I recently decided this was the baby step I was going to take to get my morning routine of getting ready back in order-even if it was a day I was working from home.