What is the Success Matrix?
No, I am not making reference to Keanu Reeves in one of the most iconic movies of all time….The Matrix. I am talking about how our ‘success’ in all pursuits of life comes back to just three things.
- Look
- Feel
- Sound
In every moment of every day, we ‘present’ ourselves, we ‘show up’, we ‘announce’ to the world how we are feeling and our enthusiasm for life. We then carry this outwardly with our disposition and inwardly with our mindset into every interaction we have. Have I lost you yet?
What the Success Matrix highlights is the connectivity between three personal attributes and their impact on our ability to be the best versions of ourselves we can be. Note, this is a high-level introduction to the Success Matrix. Please reach out to explore in greater depth.
Look:
- Your personal brand. How you dress creates a perception to the market and is a representation of your personality and interest in self-care.
- Your physical appearance. Weight, grooming, the ‘glow’ of your skin.
- Your emotional appearance. Do you look stressed, upset, angry, happy, positive.
Feel:
- What ‘state’ are you in? Are you feeling energetic, motivated, tired, stressed. How you feel impacts your personal and professional performance (quality of work and engagement with others).
Sound:
- Think about a conversation you had with someone you have just met. How has it made you feel (your energy and enthusiasm) when they are passionate/positive vs negative? When they are clearly tired/ and run down? And when they are upbeat and full of beans? The energy you carry will impact the energy and engagement with those around you. It impacts your tonality and conviction in your voice. You may be the smartest, most educated in your field, but if your delivery is lacking enthusiasm, confidence and correct pitch, you will never engage the person or the crowd. In fact, you often lose credibility and stand very little chance of closing any sale.
The connection between all three is a little like the chicken and the egg though. How you look (your physical appearance) impacts how you feel (How do you feel when you are wearing a custom-made suit). How you feel directly impacts how you sound. If you are feeling energetic and motivated, your tonality will reflect this.
3 key recommendations we can all address to ensure our Success Matrix is positive and strong.
- Meditation/journal/gratitude
- To change your mindset begin with self-reflection, making time to be present and away from stresses and distraction. Make time for the practice of being grateful. Actively making time for reflection and gratitude changes the way we view and engage with each day. We activate the positivity switch.
- Increase physical activity & address nutrition
- Address your physical appearance through the adoption of daily movement. Start with walking and build from here if you currently have no commitment to movement as part of your routine at all. Daily movement improves health, energy, mindset, body composition and will improve the food choices you make. When we become more active, we are less inclined to eat poorly. Movement and quality food will also benefit our sleep which drives our energy, focus and broader health & wellbeing.
- Invest in your appearance. Look good = Feel good
- It does not need to be a suit (it’s not for me), but it is wearing something that shows who you are, articulates your personality and shows that you have pride in how you dress. When you are happy and comfortable with your appearance you conduct and hold yourself in a more engaging manner and with greater authority. When we are not comfortable in our outfit, we often slouch, drop our shoulders and hide away.
When you look and feel more confident it attracts more people. Attraction leads to interaction which leads to opportunity.