Where in your life are you stylish? What does being stylish mean to you?
You are actually a very stylish person- who you are, how you show up, your personality, your surroundings- these are all parts of your personal style. How you handle things, and yes, what you wear and the items you choose to decorate your life all portray your stylishness. Think about the way you sign your name or how you walk into a meeting, or that funny thing you always do.
In the dictionary I found these definitions of the word stylish: fashionably elegant, neat, confident and skillful.
Being stylish can be on purpose or default. I am going to explore two ways, that are actually pretty obvious, to be stylish. I invite you to explore through ways I have asked and mentioned above, on your own, to see what else comes up for you.
I like to dress up, at least I used to. Back in my real estate selling days, I was always dressed up- over the top even, some would say. Even after I started coaching I continued to dress up, though I did finally allow myself to wear jeans in public.
[Side bar: For some reason I felt that in order to be taken seriously in business, wearing jeans was out- there was even a period of time that I did not even own a pair. I think this came from being so young and also from having been a fashion merchandising student and learning about how to present myself. I file this past belief under- where did that belief come from and why did I believe it and maybe I look into it some day.]
Then there was 2020. That year turned me right around- sweatpants, yoga clothes, comfy all the way. I have always loved a good black turtleneck and that along with some other colors made up my wardrobe. Zoom being the only time I saw anyone and when I discovered Zoom make up controls, I could even let that go!!
Now, four years later, I am going to a co-working space and it’s time to dress up again on a regular basis. Pretty much anything goes for dress these days, at least in our area. I have done a good job of weeding out my closet a few times over the past few years. I am having a lot of fun creating my current style out of things I love that still serve me and adding in some new things too. Still lots of turtlenecks!
Thinking about being stylish as a form of self expression is a lot of fun. Part of being stylish is showing confidence and how you dress can really help you to feel more or less confident. Experimenting has been key for me.
Another avenue for self expression through being stylish is how you present yourself- your smile, reactions, kindness, compassion, friendliness. How do you walk into a room? Is the room better once you show up? This is a form of style.
Along with that is your home. It can be how you decorate, or not. The definition of stylish said “neat”- so it is about how you arrange things. Is your style spacious or full? Messy can be a style, but may not be considered stylish!
What do others pick up about your style from your dress, grooming and your spaces- car, home, desk, etc? What would you like them to pick up? We all want to think it doesn’t matter, but it does to us humans. We can help but have a first impression… and a second, third and so on.
In what part of your life would you like to be more stylish? What does it look like now? What is your ideal vision, how you would like it to look? What is the difference? Write it all down.
Then, ask yourself- what are all of the steps I could take to move in this direction? And- what is the first step I will take and when will I do it? And then you have to get it into your schedule and take action- and continue this recipe until you get where you want to go! Do it your way, with your own style, which I hope includes a big dose of enjoyment!
PS- you can use this formula with YOUR word for the year. Ask yourself the questions and create a strategy to fully use and express your word in your life this year.