Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.”

But sometimes being the real you is the hardest thing to do, especially in the business world.

Most of us were raised to never question the rules and keep our silly thoughts to ourselves. As a child, how many times did you hear phrases like these?

“Don’t ask so many questions.”
“Don’t boss your brothers around.
“Don’t sing 'the hills are alive with the sound of music' at the top of your lungs.”
“Don’t do the robot dance in the grocery store.”
“Don’t laugh so loud.”

What our parents, teachers, coaches and mentors were really saying was, “Don’t stand out. Fit in!” If you followed their advice, you may have grown up feeling rather stuck, stifled and unfulfilled.

"Embrace the dork within" T-shirt from Zazzle.com

So for 2010, let’s try something different. Stop fitting in and let your inner dork out! 

What’s your “inner dork"? It’s the part of you that makes you unique. It’s the goofy, creative, question-asking, nerdy, musical, passionate or spazzy side of you that you’re afraid to let out in public.

It’s also the side of you that other people find interesting, honest and real. Your inner dork is your best tool for bonding with other people and making them feel comfortable. Believe it or not, when you let out your inner dork in the business world, your co-workers, employees and colleagues feel like they can do the same.

Here are five tips for letting out your inner dork in 2010:

1. Stop hiding the real you. You don’t have to live your life like other people expect you to. Figure out what fires you up and let it out!

2. Realize that most rules are negotiable. Don’t think about what you can’t do; think about what you CAN do. Katherine Hepburn was right when she said, “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”

3. Don’t be so darn serious. Sure, a full inbox might stress you out, but in the general scheme of things, it’s no big whoop. Find the humor, meaning and connections in life.

4. Surprise or even scare yourself. When you embrace what you’re afraid of and meet it head on, you push your own limits and grow.

5. Stop being busy. Saying you’re busy all the time is just an excuse. When you take time to find your life’s purpose, you won’t feel busy anymore. You’ll feel remarkably fulfilled.
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Carrie Hensel is co-founder and CEO of Inner Circle Media (www.innercirclemedia.com) and co-founder of the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw (www.wxwbusiness.com).