Parade/ 10 Tips for Getting Out of Your Own Way

By M.B. ROBERTS 

Sometimes when it comes to our lives, loves and careers, we’re our own worst enemies. Armed with that fact—and a few practical solutions—marketing and PR executive turned author Justin Loeber wrote the book, Get Out of Your Own Way Guide to Life: 10 Steps to Shift Gears, Dream Big, Do it Now! (Mango Publishing), on how to make things happen. Here Loeber shares 10 tips for all of us, from millennials to boomers, to get back on track and even maybe make a dream or two come true.

Dream Big

Don’t apologize for having dreams. Have the courage to dive into a pool of success and get moving because you don’t want to be 80, sitting in a rocking chair and wondering ‘what-if?’ Live the life you literally dream of, not a life of regrets.  

Make a Good First Impression

A handshake is a key into someone’s personality. If you have a wimpy, clammy handshake, most people will take you for weak. Have the courage to walk into a room and ask someone a question.  If you’re super shy, pretend you’re Jimmy Fallon and interview someone at a party. You’ll be amazed how easy you will get the conversation going.  

Find Perfection in Imperfection

If everyone had a cute little button nose, a perfect body, and we were all straight-A students, we would all be stone statues! If we all were the same in the workplace, (like robots), the office would be so boring. There wouldn’t be different voices of opinion. What you think might be a weakness, could actually be your strength, so look at yourself carefully and embrace your uniqueness.  

Know Your Sh*t!

Are you strong enough to come clean with the good and bad about yourself before others blow your cover? Take emotional inventory seriously and have the gumption to look yourself in the eye and be honest with your truth.   

Own the Power of Thoughtfulness

The power of extending thoughtfulness to others is angelic—truly good for the soul and good for the body too. If you’re going to break up with someone, call them, don’t text. Blow the dust off old-school manners, and remember that seniors have a breadth of wisdom and should be respected.  

Learn How to Communicate

We’re all sitting on subways, on buses, in elevators, and all looking down at a smartphone, as if the “Candy Crush” game is more important than human interaction. Look up and out at the possibilities right in front of you. Bring back the spoken word, and let texting be for confirming a date, not a platform for entire conversations.  

Reboot

Unless you’re a doctor on-call, you should not be available 24/7 (and your boss shouldn’t expect you to be either.) You’ll do a better job or be a better friend, parent or spouse if you take the time to turn it off, get some rest and chill out.  

Work on Your Work Ethic

If you can show up on time, be relatively friendly, and try your best, that’s a great start! If you don’t know something, ask, don’t sit there in denial. For those who are interviewing for a job, remember to study the company’s website before you go in for an interview, and do your best to persuade the employer that you are the best candidate to work at their establishment, rather than simply showing you’re desperate to get a job in general.  

Shift Gears

Change is not an enemy. Having the flexibility and self-awareness to know when it’s time to make a change will help you problem solve, help you grow and ultimately make you happier. So, if you’re a police officer and you want to be a classical guitarist, get out of the line of fire and start taking music lessons! Just start.  

Rule Your Planet

Find the “it” that makes you tick. Put down the white noise, take back your day, and run your life on your own terms without any distractions. Find the dream scenario in your life that makes you happy—even if it goes against what your parents, loved ones or friends envisioned for you. Be your own first class citizen and go from passenger to the driver’s seat of your lifetime.