Do you remember the letter I wrote to myself? Well, I’ve come to realize that I have really struggled in my career, both in corporate jobs as well as in my own business, and a big reason is that I’ve always tried to fit in when I should have been ok with standing out. When I compared myself to others and thought, ‘wow, look at what they’re doing – I want to do them;’ or when I stopped doing what I wanted or knew was the ‘right thing’ because someone else didn’t approve, I really held myself back.
How many time has that happened to you? Have these times ever made you feel less than but yet you did what these others wanted? I have for sure; in my previous jobs I was in management so it is a big challenge to go against the grain (you may find this, too). But I now know there could have been ways I could have had my way while satisfying my upline. In your career or business, you may have the urge to go along with others so as not to stand out but you would be doing yourself a disservice.
Standing out is the only option if you want to be successful (considering success is personal to each of us). When you become a ‘sheeple’ you become just like everyone else and it is harder to get promotions or more challenging work, or customers for your business. Standing out among the crowd can be a bit difficult but not impossible. I think it’s everything.
Begin by asking yourself – from an outsider’s perspective – what makes you unique or special? What qualities attracts people to me that I can build off of? What feels authentic to me in my work or business? The answers to these questions will help you identify your unique selling propositions (USP) that you can now use in your daily work and, actually, your life. Start today to evaluate so you can uncover your USP and stand out in all ways.