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Do you know what most successful people have in common? Their ability to fake it. We’ve talked to tons of important people in business and blogging and they all have a chuckle when they think of how they started up because a large portion of it was just pretending they were well-established when they were actually living with their parents.
We’re quite lucky that because of social media we can portray ourselves in any way we want to, and it’s highly unlikely that anyone will be able to tell. It’s all in the way you do it, I don’t really condone outright lying, but a few white lies are kind of essential to getting to where you need to be.
1. Faking it can make you seem more professional
As Rosie Davies, the founder of the London Fashion Agency told us a few weeks ago, it’s all in the execution. It is more professional to say that you have a small shared office when you’re actually working in your bedroom and to have a media kit and website that looks super professional but you actually designed yourself. Rosie said that she would meet clients instead of bringing them back to her ‘office’ so they didn’t know it was just her and an intern in her bedroom.
Sometimes telling the truth can put people off, but as long as you have the drive to get an office and the execution to pull off a credible business, a white lie like that won’t hurt.
2. You can fake your feelings too
If you’ve seen the TED talk by Amy Cuddy, she talks about how a lot of the time when we put ourselves in scary or intimidating situations we automatically feel like an impostor. A lot of us can relate to this feeling, whether you’re attending a networking event or have been invited to a dinner, your body language gives away the fact that you are feeling intimidated. Taking some time to ‘fake’ confidence and ease will actually work at making you a confident person.
For example, I used to be so intimidated by the thought of meeting people one-to-one or attending a networking event on my own, but I barely give it a second thought these days, because we’ve had to do it so often. Faking it for a few months actually made me more confident at approaching people. Read more about communicating confidence when you’re nervous here.
3. The only way to get to where you want to be is to act like you’re already there
The more you act like you’ve made it, the more you reassure yourself that you’re on your way to success and there’s nothing to worry about – the more you will feel comfortable and confident with your progress. Meeting new people and pitching ideas is terrifying if you feel like a small fish in a big pond, but if you tell yourself that you’re already up there, you will feel more assured.
You often hear people saying “I just knew she was going to be successful,” about celebrities or career girls, and this is because they usually ‘knew’ it too. Those people from the success stories knew the power of acting like the leader they wanted to be. Look at early Kanye West if you don’t believe me, he has acted the part throughout his whole career!
What do you think about faking it? Has it helped you get to where you want to be?
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