"What makes you unique is what will make you successful!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
From one book project to two others!
I'm working away on Escaping Mediocrity, but the other book that is waiting in the wings is "Being Unique."
I've been away from the project for some time, but came to realize that, like the lost Basement Tapes, I've got a lost Chapter 11 of the book that I wrote and misplaced! Since I'm not sure where we stand with the project at this point - I've been away from it for so long - I'm not sure if I worked it into the most recent 'final' manuscript or not!
Reading it, it's a pretty good summary wrap-up for the book, and so I'll share it here!
The world is moving at a blistering pace. The future isn't just coming - it's accelerating. And in this high-velocity reality, being different isn't just an option - it's your strategic weapon for getting there first.
That much should be clear from reading this book.
The Uniqueness Imperative
With that being the case, here’s the key point you should take away: the safe path to tomorrow is now the riskiest route.
That’s because while others race to conform, real opportunities emerge for those who dare to stand apart.
This isn't just about being different - it's about being ahead.
Consider these realities:
- Innovation happens at the edges, where unique thinking flourishes
- Breakthroughs come from those who see patterns others miss
- The future belongs to those who refuse to fit into today's boxes
Think about how the world works now:
- While everyone chases the same opportunities, the unique find new ones
- When others seek consensus, the different ones create breakthroughs
- As many follow established paths, the distinctive forge new ones
The Strategic Power of Being Different
That’s what you need to keep in mind as you carve out your unique place in the world.
The future marketplace has no room for the ordinary. Every commodity skill is being automated. Every standard approach is being disrupted. Every conventional wisdom is being challenged.
You need to think about your uniqueness as your strategic superpower: and here’s where your uniqueness becomes strategic:
- When you think differently, you see opportunities first
- When you act differently, you get to those opportunities faster
- When you innovate differently, you create opportunities others miss
And you need to do this at the speed demanded by today’s world. That’s what happens when your uniqueness becomes your accelerator:
- Your distinctive perspective becomes your early warning system
- Your different approach becomes your competitive advantage
- Your unique skills become your future currency
That's because the world of tomorrow rewards:
- Those who don't just adapt to change - it rewards those who create it
- Those who don't just follow trends - they spot them first
- Those who don't just accept norms - they reinvent them
So how do you ensure you can use your unique viewpoint and skills to full effect? Make sure to power up your difference with these strategic moves:
- Transform your unique viewpoint into a trends radar
- Convert your distinctive thinking into innovative fuel
- Turn your odd perspectives into opportunity spotters
- Make your weird ideas into market advantages
In this way, you are using your uniqueness to carve out a future that is different than others - or might help get you there before everyone else does. That’s where opportunities lie!
What are you doing with this type of thinking? Your uniqueness will help you to create breakthrough potential by:
- Seeing patterns others miss
- Questioning what others accept
- Exploring what others ignore
- Creating what others can't imagine
Bottom line? What you are doing is doubling down on your uniqueness as your most important skin set, by doing several things:
- Making different thinking your default mode
- Turning uniqueness into your strategic compass
- Using your distinctive view as your opportunity radar
- Leveraging your odd angles as innovation catalysts
The Call to Action
The future is happening at hyper-speed. The old rules are being rewritten. The safe harbors are disappearing. And in this environment, your uniqueness isn't just an asset - it's your acceleration strategy.
It will get you to your future faster.
Your mission now?
Don't just acknowledge your differences - weaponize them
Don't just accept your uniqueness - accelerate with it
Don't just be different - be distinctively ready for tomorrow
Remember: The future may happen to everyone, but it happens first to those who think, act, and innovate differently.
Your uniqueness isn't just about standing out - it's about getting there first.
The future belongs to those who are uniquely ready for it.
Be uniquely ready for it!
Jim’s book, Being Unique — And Why It Will Get to Your Future Faster, will be released sometime during the spring of 2025!