Are you dressed for success? It might seem like a bit of a stupid question but it is one of those questions that if you think about it is actually asking more than one question.
A Case Study in Being Dressed For Success
The whole reason that I am writing this post is that our oldest son went into a four hour series of interviews last week and was offered the job of his dreams. Was he dressed for success? Hayden certainly was. He was not only dressed for success physically but mentally as well. It was what separated him out from the large group of people that were there to be interviewed for a chance of a career in the Australian Defence Force.
The Physical
The dress requirement for the interviews was formal dress. Hayden went out and bought a suit for the interview. One of the things that Lisa noticed while waiting for Hayden was that those that left first and unsuccessful were those that were in casual clothes. As those that were successful started coming out the level of dress became a lot more formal. Was it the clothes that got Hayden his dream job? Not entirely.
The mental
It was being mentally dressed for success that got Hayden through a medical, an interview with a psychiatrist and an interview with an Officer. The one piece of advice that Lisa and I gave Hayden was “you know all that you need to pass the interview. Just walk in there as if you have already got the job and are just there to find out when you will be going for your training.” When you are mentally dressed for success you have confidence in yourself. When you are confident in yourself it shows. It was this confidence that Hayden used to pass an hour long interview with a psychiatrist who was looking for any signs of weakness or doubt in his ability. Then Hayden had to show the same level of confidence for another hour with an Army officer who was also looking for any reason that he might not be suitable for a life in the Defence Force.
Being Completely Dressed For Success
When Hayden put his suit on for his interview that morning he was only partially dressed for success. But when you dress for success physically you tend to do so mentally as well. It works just as well in reverse. When you are dressed for success mentally you usually will physically as well.
Seeing Hayden pass his interviews with confidence was one of our proudest moments as parents. To see our oldest son growing into a man with a sense of confidence and pride in himself makes us all the more confident that he will do well with whatever he chooses to do in life.
So are you dressed for success? Do you have the confidence in life to do whatever it is that you want to do? Well do you?
Cheers,
Dave
New Life On The Road
I completely agree that to succeed you need to dress physically and mentally for success. I am so happy for Hayden and you all for his acceptance into the career of his dreams and he will do so well, as that is his passion. We are about to embark on the same journey with our 17 yr old son who only has 7 wks left of school but I feel confident he will find his way in the big wide world. I know he certainly loves to dress up and where a tie whenever possible, so he won’t have problems dressing for success in the physical sense.
Jackie Stenhouse recently posted..Our Farm Animals
Hi Jackie,
When Hayden decided it was time to leave the nest I could see that he was mentally dressed for success. I could see that he knew that It was time to step up to the next level.
I am sure that your 17yr old son will do the same. If he is already happy to dress for success he will be doing it mentally as well.
Cheers,
Dave
Hello Lisa and Dave,
big congratulations to your son landing his dream jobs!
And I love your word play “mentally dressed for success”. But it is absolutely true, if you are mentally prepared, know what you want and “know” deep down that you have got it already – who is there to stop you?
I am sure he will have a great time, because he will be learning and doing what he loves to do – like his parents 🙂
Renee
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Hello Renee,
You are absolutly right. when you are mentally prepared all excuses and problems dissappear and you become unstoppable.
Cheers,
Dave
Really great post, Dave. I agree that the clothes are only half of it! It’s amazing how mental preparation can go a long way in achieving our goals.
And well done to Hayden. He’s so fortunate to have such wonderful parents. 🙂
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Thanks Kellie, we sure are proud of our older son 🙂
And he has fit into the navy lifestyle so well!!!
Cheers
Lisa