As I write this, we are just a few days away from the silliest holidays of the year. With all due respect to Punxsutawney Phil and his big day, Halloween gets the award for giving us an excuse to act like kids again. I mean, how often do you get to dress up like Gumby and hit on a hot nurse in fishnet stockings?
Could you imagine the perspective an alien would have on the human race if he were dropped on this planet right in the middle of Halloween night? We even put our pets in costumes, for crying out loud! The poor spaceman would likely report to his superiors “they have somehow figured out how to morph Poodles with Lady Bugs!”
Poodle-Bug
Halloween allows us an opportunity to hide behind a mask, break out of our skin, and interact with others in a way that we normally wouldn’t. The costume we are wearing gives us the courage to show a side of ourselves that we normally keep hidden, sometimes deep in our own subconscious. As a bald man, I am sure that my therapist would tell me that there’s a reason that my Halloween costumes usually involve wigs!
Me, Last Halloween (Dream On!)
If you find yourself going through the motions in your business, what “costume“ can you put on to get out of the rut? A change in wardrobe, hairstyle, and accessories can all help give you the self-assurance you need to be more successful. The reason Don Draper dresses the way he does on Mad Men is because it gives him confidence. Well that, and it was the sixties. When can us men start wearing Fedoras to work again?
Dapper Don Draper
What can you do differently tomorrow that will give you the courage to break out of the mold and be more successful? One suggestion: leave the clown nose at home.
Don't Go This Far!
