Why 2020 is the year to reinvent yourself.

2020 is a game changer and there is no way to avoid it. In Australia it started with catastrophic bushfires drastically impacting communities and wildlife placing our natural disaster on a global stage when Celeste Barber stepped up and raised $51 million in an unprecedented fundraising effort. The COVID-19 crisis then unraveled in China which sparked a global pandemic placing millions of lives at risk and devastating the economy.

We learnt very quickly if we wanted to survive in extreme circumstances – we had to be agile. To be the change the world wanted to see, leaders needed to step up their game and become fearless, transitioning teams through unchartered waters. Some succeeded and some failed.

Fast forward to September 2020, and the world as we know it has changed. New research from Roy Morgan shows over 32% of Australian’s have been working from home since the COVID-19 outbreak shut down large parts of the economy. Stanford University says that 42% of the United States workforce is now working from home. I am one of those statistics and have embraced the change, learning to work in new exciting ways which have me jumping out of bed in the morning ready to conquer the world.

What have I learnt through this crisis? Challenges become possibilities and now more than ever it is time to show the world your professional gifts. Creativity and connection is key.

Here are 3 reasons WHY you should reinvent yourself so that you attract what you truly deserve:

1. Invest in personal branding – we are living and working in an increasingly virtual world. The first thing a business looks at when confirming a meeting with a potential partner / candidate is YOU. Ensure you have an image which best represents your talents and a razor sharp profile which explains in the first 3 sentences your best assets – this will determine if that meeting gets the green light.
2. Tell your story – people want to know the real you. Authenticity, empathy and connection have been the key drivers of communication this year and those who chose to come forward and step out of the professional shackles of non-disclosure on the personal front are the ones who have shown true leadership and rallied their teams. One of the best examples I have seen is a CEO from SE Asia who shared his cancer journey (scars and most feared moments during treatment) across Linkedin while managing to run his team and increase sales across a premium portfolio of brands.
3. Don’t be afraid of change – embrace it. A redundancy, reduced salary or part-time hours all form part of your life journey. They allow you to experience change, adapt to new circumstances and most importantly give you the greatest gift of all – time. Time creates space for you to truly understand what it is you want to do in life and that’s where the magic starts to unfold….when you follow your passion, the opportunities are endless. All you need to do is repeat #1 and #2 above to start the next chapter in life.

Tory Archbold is an inspirational speaker who mentors entrepreneurs in Australia and the US. She talks about the power of how three coffee dates a week can build your global tribe. For more information or to book Tory for your next corporate workshop visit powerfulsteps.com.au