Are You Due a Reappraisal?

My friend Sara put her house on the market last year.

She hadn’t planned on selling. She had lived there a long time.

She was so familiar with the wear and tear that she saw necessary upgrades in every room. Rather than putting in the money to update and refurbish the house, she decided to start fresh somewhere else.

She’d budget for her new purchase based on what she thought she could get for the last.

And she way underestimated the value of her current home.

Thanks to a knowledgable realtor, Sara learned her house was worth considerably more than what she had paid for it and what she presumed it might fetch. As a result, she listed for a much higher price than what she would have originally thought to ask for.

And she landed an offer at asking within 24 hours.

She was shocked, pleased, and… not at all ready to move.

Ultimately she decided to stay in her house, flaws and all. Perhaps she saw it in a new light.

Or maybe she found a deeper love of her house now that she had a renewed sense of its value.

Just like I found a deeper sense of the value of her story.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I find meaning in the small moments, like a mistaken eagle, a dress with pockets, a paint-by-numbers canvas…

Even a hot dog.

So it’s not hard to find the meaning in Sara’s story of undervaluing her home, what many experts say is our most valuable financial asset.

What about YOUR assets?

Are you due a reappraisal?

I don’t mean of your house (though if you do need that, I know a number of talented women in the realty and mortgage industries who could readily assist).

I mean of YOU. Of your intrinsic worth. Of your value to a potential “buyer” (say, an employer).

When you look at yourself as you might your house, do you see only its flaws and needs of improvement?

Or do you see it the way someone else might, as a worthy investment?

We become overly familiar with the faults and flaws of what’s most familiar.

And what can be more familiar to us than ourselves?

So we see the worn floors or the creaky bannister or the range in need of an upgrade… And we miss creative layout, the mature landscape, the solid foundation…

And what I mean by that is…

We see our tendency to procrastinate, our lack of SEO knowledge, our inability to do higher math… And we don’t consider our problem-solving, our collaborative nature, our attention to detail…

It’s time to stop focusing on our flaws and faults.

It’s time to reassess, reappraise, and reinvigorate our belief in our strengths.

Start a list of all that you offer – your skills, experience, knowledge and specific behaviors that have brought you success. This is your Unique Value Potential and, believe me, it is far more valuable than you think.

Consider this your listing to the next appealing “buyer,” the potential hiring manager or employer who will value this house you’ve built and will pay top dollar for it.

Reappraise yourself.

And then ask for what you’re worth.

With the right timing, you may even find yourself the subject of a bidding war.

And then it’s up to you if you want to move.

Valerie Gordon is the founder and owner of career and communications strategy firm, The Storytelling Strategist and the Commander-in-She blog. She uses the power of strategic storytelling for impact and influence and works with corporations to build strong teams and grow future leaders. A frequent speaker at women’s conferences, she helps help high-achievers with the skills and tools necessary to ascend the leadership ladder. Inquire about virtual training for your group or organization at valerie@storytellingstrategist.com