Pimp Up Your Avatar
It is not every day that Perth, Western Australia boasts of being home to one of the biggest stars in the world. Sam Worthington has set the bar so high; it may take more than a decade for Perth to have such bragging rights again.
Acting as Jake Sully in the 2009 film Avatar, Sam Worthington has immortalized himself here in Perth and beyond.
And who would have thought that movie writer and director, James Cameron would break his own box office record (Titanic)? At the time of this writing, Avatar is the highest grossing movie in history (Over $US2.2 Billion!).
I won’t be the spoiler for those who have not seen the movie. Go watch it.
Pimp My Ride
A few years ago I was addicted to a TV show called “Pimp My Ride”. Each episode consisted of taking a car in a poor condition and restoring it, as well as customizing it. I personally know a few people who would benefit from such a makeover.
Last night I had a dream. I dreamt up of a new “Blog show”. Let us call it “Pimp My Avatar”. The show will be starring a carefully selected Success Makeover Experts team.
This team will be responsible for challenging your thinking and inspiring you to be the best you can be. What is an Avatar? An Avatar is a representation of an idea. The idea can be you as a husband (or wife); you as a business owner; you as a student; you as a sports man… it is up to you.
Now let us think about it. What if the “Pimp My Avatar” team worked on you today? What would they change? How would they transform you? How would the customize you? What would they get rid off in your life? What would they say about your current state?
You are about to be PIMPED UP!
Focus – What Do You Want To Be?
A good Avatar does not try to do everything. It is not a generality but a specific success story. What do you want to be? Do you want to be a better leader? Do you want to be a good student? Do you want to be the perfect relationship partner? Whatever your heart desires, you can be it. Make no mistake about it.
What are your current dominating thoughts? Are you a positive person or is your mind clouded in negative thoughts? Take out a piece of paper and write down what you think about mainly. What dominates your Avatar?
Changing what you focus on has the magical power of transforming your Avatar. Many people waste time and energy because of lack of focus. They do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. They spread themselves too thin.
Dig deeper into what you want to achieve in. If it is a relationship, give it more time. If it is a job, do your best. Do one thing and do it well. See it to its logical conclusion.
Grow – Get More Powerful
The more you use your Avatar, the more powerful it becomes. In computer games, the more you play and jump hurdles, the more powerful your Avatar becomes. You only grow if you do something. Sitting on your laurels only makes you stagnate.
Visualize in your mind where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Remember there can be no progress without action.
Don’t just take action for the sake of taking action. Take well calculated steps to take you to where you want to be. Remember the most important part of a journey is to pick the right direction. Don’t head to Cape Town if you want to get to Cairo.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. Be careful not to make the same mistake twice though.
As you become stronger, hang around other stronger people. Do not compete with amateurs when you go pro. Do not lift the small weights when you can do more. Stretch yourself. Find people and situations that make you stretch. Do not get into a comfort zone. Be a powerful Avatar.
Presentation – Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak
The “Pimp My Avatar” team loves this part. This is where they make you look good. What good does it do for you to be a strong, focused Avatar if everyone thinks you suck?
The “Pimp My Avatar” team will first tell you to work on your communication skills. The messages you send out to others through your verbal and non-verbal communication define how they look at you.
Think ahead of time what image you want to project. Choose your words carefully. The words that come out of your mouth will be your Avatar’s image. Don’t speak like an old shoe.
Be careful about what you write down and speak to others. Words, once let out never come back. You cannot swallow back your words even with the most sincere apology.
The next task is to work on your association. Birds of a feather flock together. The people you hang out with will be a reflection of your Avatar’s character. An Avatar that scratches with turkeys is not an eagle in my books (and in many people’s books).
The “Pimp My Avatar” team will also spend time working on your personal grooming. You will feel like a million bucks once they give you a few handy tips. It takes only 3 seconds for you to make a first impression. And because you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression; make sure your Avatar looks good!
Work On Your Weak Areas
Just like the old cars in Pimp My Ride TV show, we all have defects. There is nothing wrong with that… that’s just the way life is. If we were all perfect, the world would be a boring place (and I would be out of job).
The “Pimp My Avatar” team has this little worksheet called “Habits”. They believe we are creatures of habits. They will help you identify your habits.
What bad habits would you like to eliminate? Do you tell “creative” truths? Are you always late for meetings? Do you forget to keep in touch with loved ones? Are you loud and a vexation to the spirit?
One by one, cast your bad habits to a bottomless pit or the deep blue ocean.
Work On Your Strengths
The able team at “Pimp My Avatar” knows that we at times give ourselves more credit than we deserve. It is not so easy to be a jack of all trades.
The team may seem mean spirited, but they are only trying to help you. They will gently advise you to go slow on things you don’t naturally excel in. They will tell you that even Michael Jordan tried his hand in Baseball but decided to go back to Basketball. It was not like he was bad at it anyway; it just was not his core strength.
Identify your key strengths and work on those. If you are not good with numbers, hire an accountant. If you are not good with gardening work, hire a gardener. Decide what your core strengths are and let others do the rest. Shine at what you do best. Let others shine in what they do best.
Journal Your Journey
The “Pimp My Avatar” team will insist that you record your success journey. A success journal is something that will guide you over the years and tell you how far you have come. Who knows, one day you may want to write a book to tell the world about how you became such a big, successful Avatar.
We tell ourselves that we shall remember all that is happening today. But over time the memories fade.
When you are eliminating habits, write your down how you feel. Why are you stopping smoking? What challenges are you experiencing? Why are you trying to improve your writing skills? How are you going about it?
Write your journal for you own consumption. Even if nobody ever reads it, it will serve the purpose of crystallizing your ideas, thoughts and help you in making sound judgment now and in the future.
Establish Your Feedback Loop
The “Pimp My Avatar” will finally insist that you have people to keep you in check. Do not surround yourself with “yes-men”. Have a friend (or a few friends) who will always be honest with you and tell you when you go wrong.
I once heard that a certain rich man had someone whose work was to whisper to him the words “You are only human”, after a delegation of praise singers had been to see him.
Musicians sometimes lose touch with their true fans and get surrounded by flatterers. By the time they realize it, they have lost touch with their base and their records are not selling as they used to.
Have a trusted mentor who will guide you and give you feedback on how your Avatar is coming along. Have a couple of admirers and cheerleaders that will lift your spirits up, but be wary of flattery. An ancient Greek philosopher once said “Flattery is like friendship in show, but not in fruit”. Get feedback that will bear fruits.
Final Thought….
To succeed in life you have to be clear on what you want. Focus on the right things. You become what you think about. Fill your mind with positive thoughts of achievement.
Remember to get out of your comfort zone. Work on your strengths and weaknesses. Present yourself well through your grooming, communication and association. Record your success journey and maintain touch with people who will give you honest feedback.
You are now an officially pimped up Avatar!
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.