By now it’s no secret that if you want her digits, you’re more likely to succeed with some well-timed wit than a cheesy pick-up line. The same logic applies to other aspects of your life – and who better to show us where than the funniest guy on television, and host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon.
1/ Win Over a Tough Room
Fallon blew his first audition for Saturday Night Live, but he kept working on his craft… and you know the rest. Don’t let failure kill your confidence, says G. Richard Shell, author of Springboard: Launching Your
Personal Search for Success. “You can’t confuse a temporary setback in your work life with an attack on your personal self,” he says. Use negative feedback to re-evaluate, and try new ways of presenting your ideas.
2/ Crack Jokes to Get The Girl
Fallon remains surprised that he landed his dream girl. He reeled her in with humour,
naturally. Women favour anecdotal or contextual humour, says Mary Crawford, a professor of psychology at the University of Conneticut. She’ll warm to a funny tale told with self-depreciating wit. It shows you’re able to
laugh at yourself. She’ll laugh with you.
3/ Copy The Best
Doing impersonations helped Fallon land his spot on SNL. They may help in your career too. “Selecting a role model nurtures qualities in yourself,” says Shell. Seek a mentor who makes you excited for your work or excels in your weak areas. Then mimic your mentor’s moves until they become yours.
4/ Land Your Dream Job
Fallon has practised interviewing techniques on his wife at the dinner table. If you think of your current job as a step towards a dream career, even mundane tasks take on real
purpose. “If you have a long-term goal and you know you’re on the path towards it, that’s going to raise your morale and give you more perseverance and persistence,” says Shell. Fine-tune your career goals every few months to keep the mojo.
