"Find out what makes you different. Do more of it!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
Today's Inspiration is directly from the very opening moment of the book I've been trying to write.
I'll be getting more into those issues from the opening and subsequent chapters - already written - as we go. But while thinking about this project yesterday, a thought came to mind (which often happens when you're thinking!) If I am to be spending quite a bit of time explaining why it's important to be unique, shouldn't one of the first steps be to figure out if you are, or aren't, in the first place?
With that came the concept of the Uniqueness Inventory. This post takes a first stab at such a list.
Take some time to go through these, and give yourself an honest answer. The goal is to help you uncover your distinctive qualities - are you unique?
- do I have specific skills or talents that set me apart from others around me?
- do I spend time doing things I am passionate about that others consider a waste of time?
- am I comfortable questioning established norms and proposing new ideas?
- do I seek out new knowledge and skills regularly?
- am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and take calculated risks?
- do I chase offbeat ideas?
- do I connect with people from different backgrounds and industries?
- do I bounce back quickly from setbacks to take the next step?
- do I actively share my unique insights and perspectives with others?
- do I regularly engage in activities that stimulate my creativity?
- do I maintain an optimistic outlook, even in challenging situations?
- am I open to trying new experiences and stepping outside my routine?
- do I trust and act on my intuitive insights?
- do I actively seek to understand and empathize with unusual perspectives?
- do I despise the status quo?
- do I often think that somehow, I'm just different from other people
- do I consider myself a 'lone wolf,' happiest when I explore what interests me?
- do I zone out in meetings, conferences, Zoom calls, and other forms of interaction?
- do I often have ridiculously short attention spans because I'm eager to get to the next thing?
- do I get bored easily?
- do I get impatient with structures, rules, agendas, and details?
These are the types of questions that you could be asking yourself to consider if you are truly unique or not. If there are a lot of Yes answers, then maybe you've got what it takes to take advantage of your uniqueness. If there are way too many No's, then the book I'm working to put together - and this series - might be the type of thing that can kick you in your unique skill set.
Why would that be important? Because by and large, it's those people who have a unique mindset are those who have the innate innovation skills that can help them define a different tomorrow If that's your goal, then maybe we can help you get there too. Starting with questions like this might be the first step in helping you to develop an action plan that will let you exercise your creativity engine a bit more, explore your niche opportunities, and delve a little bit more into the innovative mindset that will help to get you to your future faster - because you'll end up doing more of it.
Onwards!
Futurist Jim Carroll is actively working on writing his next book. With the working title, "How to Be Unique (And Why It Will Get You to Your Future Faster)", the book is in the early stages. He has decided to try to write sections of it in real-time by incorporating it, 2 to 3 times each week, into one of his Daily Inspiration Posts. This is one of those posts.