On the last day of 2007 I met with a personal coach of sorts. We had a very long conversation about what my plans were for the year and how I planned on achieving the goals I had set before me. In the course of the conversation he told me I needed to smile more. That comment kind of took me aback. He elaborated and said that as I described my plans and presented my thoughts I took myself way too seriously.
He suggested I lighten up and smile. He said I would win more people over this way, since people do business with people they like, and a smile will make people like you. He even suggested I slow my speech and not pack as many words into a minute as I do when I’m explaining some nerdy topic like inflation and interest rates.
I drove home thinking that was odd for him to say and thought surely this man doesn’t know what he’s talking about. So I mentioned this to my wife and she couldn’t agree more with the coach’s observation. She said I’ve always taken things way to seriously and that I need to just relax from time to time (even when dealing with serious stuff) and enjoy the journey more.
It’s a simple thing, but I’m already having a great year! So, I’m choosing to smile more this year. I’m choosing to relax and enjoy this ride called life and work. And what’s more I’m going to smile my way out of this market!
