By Cristina Norocel, MarketingFX Concept Founder, Mentor in SIM’s Community

It is as if in the law of nature to imagine that others are better, more beautiful, more intelligent, more inspired, more who knows how than us, who still have much to solve until we come to compare ourselves with them. Some see this as realism, others call it modesty, but few realize that, whatever it is called, this way of judging ourselves in relation to others and of constantly deciding that we cannot do what they do is detrimental. And it only keeps us in place and hinders us from the goals we set ourselves if we propose them!

Trying to find out why others may and may not, we look for excuses behind which to hide, perhaps out of fear of awareness or perhaps out of convenience and the need to remain prisoners in our comfort zone, where it's warm, and we got used to it.

Such excuses are found in all aspects of our lives, but they are very "noisy" when it comes to online visibility, where the need to have a strong personal brand tends to assert itself more and more intensely.

So, here are the seven most invoked excuses that do not allow you to develop and create a personal brand that will lead you to the success you secretly dream of: 

Online, you have to be active, have time, and have exciting posting ideas. I don't have time, nor would I have anything to write about - Nothing more true. If you do not maintain a constant online presence, you risk being quickly forgotten. However, if you own a field, it is almost impossible not to have something to talk about. One morning at coffee is enough to bring up three or four topics to talk about to others. Write about them, and you will solve the problem for a week! As for time, it's up to you to organize yourself a little.

The field in which I work is not so interesting - For whom is this field not exactly interesting? Have you ever thought that you have been working in an area for some years precisely because you found it or still find it interesting? You don't have to write for the whole globe, and you don't have to respond to the preferences of all the people in the world. It is enough to write professionally for a niche interested in what you do to get closer to success.

What if I'm not good enough in my field to become an expert? - Why do we consider an expert to know them all? Isn't it said that man learns while he lives? If you agree that the expert is also human, you probably realize that, no matter how well he masters a field, the expert does not know everything. It would help if you found a way to reveal what you know and quickly fill in the gaps that you are missing. If we all waited until we knew them all, no one would take action.

I don't like to expose my private life in front of everyone - And who forces you to do it? Remember that the role of the personal brand is to help you stand out professionally. It's true that a person who shows his human side also has something to gain, but that doesn't mean you have to let your whole life be seen online. You are the only person who knows and can decide how much your personal life can be exposed.

I don't feel like hating. I am affected by what others say - Fear of negative opinion or even the insults of others is understandable to a point. Many are quick to criticize and, most of the time, do so in words that do not please anyone. On the other hand, we must keep in mind that those words say something about the hater itself, not about your professionalism. In addition, you don't get rid of hate in real life either, so you better leave people with their opinions and style, and you see your way further! A wise saying goes that only in the fruitless tree does one not give stones.

What would I have to say? - You may not necessarily have something to say that has never been said before, but the way you say it matters. If all people thought so, then no more books would be written. After all, in books, the subjects are always the same - love, death, suffering, war, loneliness, etc. However, millions of books are published and read worldwide each year. Why? Because style makes the difference and creates novelty.

I don't like being a star here or there - I don't even have to! You have to be you. Maybe you don't like Mirela Retegan, Dana Budeanu, or Vulpescu. It's natural. They have their people who want them, who follow and admire them, being examples of a well-built personal brand. The fact that you know someone you don't like, that the topics approached by him/her do not match your structure and values ​​does not mean that he/she does not have a solid personal brand. If you work on your personal brand in the same vein, presenting yourself as you are and how you want to be perceived, it does not mean that you will be like the successful people you want to delimit yourself from and that everyone will admire you. There is no such thing!  

Instead, there is an English proverb that says: If you want to shoot, shoot!. In other words, if you are convinced that you want to build a personal brand and that you wish to change your life for the better, you have to get down to business. The more you think about it, the further you move away from your goal and allow time to flow to your detriment. Our mind can be a good friend, but through the millions of negative scenarios and excuses of all kinds it invents, it can become a great enemy at the same time. So, sometimes, it's good to ignore it and throw ourselves into "waves," forgetting excuses and excuses.