First Impressions

You know the old saying "You never have a second chance to make a first impression". I think this is really a true saying. Psychologists have done tests to show that we make our first impression of a new person within literally a fraction of a second.

The tough thing about that is that you can't control much about what happens in such a brief time frame. If it happens that quickly, it isn't about what you say or what you do particularly. It's entirely based upon your physical appearance - your clothing, your hairstyle or makeup, your posture, and your overall attitude.

Once someone makes this general impression of you, they have decided whether to like you or not and unless you do some pretty drastic to change their mind, that is the way they are always going to think of you. That sounds really harsh, but it seems to be a hardwired thing in the subconscious mind and even if we wanted to behave differently towards people, we probably can't make much of a change in that behavior.

These are pretty much all things you can control to some degree, which means you can have a lot of influence over the way you are perceived and the way people are going to treat you.

I'm sure it's much the same with your house. Your yard, your front door and your entryway are all part of that first impression someone gets when someone comes to your home. Why not go out and look at your house the way a Real Estate agent would look at it? Is there trash in your yard? Do your flower beds need weeding, or your snow and ice need to be removed? Are there kids toys, shoes, or tools by your front door? How long has it been since you swept your front porch?

There are a number of quick and easy fixes you can do to make that first impression a good one, both for your house and for yourself. We just don't think to do them, or we think somehow that people just "won't notice". But I think that's just something we tell ourselves. I think a lot of people do notice, but they are to kind and polite to want to hurt our feelings by telling us.

Sometimes just a few simple changes like a touch of makeup, some inexpensive jewelry, and maybe a slightly nicer top can not only make a difference in the way we look, but also in our attitude and the way we feel about ourselves. I can just hear you now, but I LOVE my comfy sweats, my broken-in jeans and my old worn out shoes. I'm just going to be with the kids all day, why should I bother to put on makeup or jewelry? I know exactly how you feel. I work from home one or two days a week and I know that on those days, I tend to "dress down" a bit from what I would wear into the office.

But wouldn't you know it, those grungy days when you are walking around with unwashed hair, or your husband's old T-shirt on, or pants with a big stain on them, those are the days that you are going to sneak out to the grocery store or the post office and run into someone you weren't expecting to see. Your child's principal, your minister, or someone from your husband's office.

Do you remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? She went into those fancy shops and because she was dressed so poorly, the women felt perfectly entitled to be horribly rude to her. I mean, this is Julia Roberts. Even dressed so poorly, she was a complete knockout with a gorgeous smile and a killer bod, but in the wrong clothes, no one could see her beauty. All they could see was what the clothes were saying.

You just never know. So, even on those stay-at-home days, I still have some minimum standards. I wear a little bit of makeup - at least some mascara and eyeshadow. I may wear more casual clothes, but everything is clean and fits properly. If I notice something is getting too tight, or is too baggy, or needs repairs beyond a safety pin or two out they go. I have a special give-away box in my guest room and they go right in there. Someone else will give them a good home and enjoy them.

So, your challenge today is to take a moment and give a bit of thought to the first impression you would give someone if you just met them today, both for yourself and for your house. Is this an impression you would want to live with, or would you rather make a few quick changes to start off on the right foot?