The Difference Between Being Different & Unique and Why You Should Be Unique!
In business, life, University, our job, our career and anything else you may hear the term, you need to be different in order to stand out. That then means we could have lots of people trying to be different and do things in different ways just because we are taught we need to stand out in order to get a promotion, good results and be noticed.
If everyone is trying to be different, does different then become normal?
In my eyes being different in some way is a slight gamble, you don’t know if it’s going to produce the results you want because it’s likely not many people have done it before and there is no one to learn from. For me, it’s a risk/reward system, if the risk pays off, you could be the one to get results that no one has ever got before and you have set a new boundary for the next person to come and push outwards.
In the financial markets, if something reaches a price it can’t sustain it will eventually come back down to price that investors find acceptable. Again, I feel being different is similar to this, everyone keeps pushing until they come back down to a level that they can sustain.
Finally, with everyone trying to be different, they usually tend to look for inspiration and when you start looking for inspiration, especially on the internet it, means it’s probably been done before and especially now in a world where information is more accessible than ever, many ideas have been tested.
How Do We Become Unique Instead of Being ‘Different’?
To be unique it has to come from you. You must add your own characteristic, your own spice or your own wow factor so when people see that product, they automatically know it’s you without even looking at anything else.
Being unique means you aren’t trying to be different, you aren’t thinking of ways to stand out and put your head above the parapet just because you can, you offer something which no one else is doing and everyone knows it’s you because that’s your brand.
For example, many will look at a process and add in an extra step, take a step out or change a step in order to make something more efficient. This for me is classed as being different, being unique means that you make the process efficient and you add a bit of you that people recognise.
The best example of this is:
Unique is about being different, it’s about being you.
If you are fortunate to be in a leadership or managerial role, there is so much research out there on how to be a good leader and manager but nothing beats someone who is individual and puts their all into their team!
When it comes to business, being known because you are unique is something to be proud of. Most markets or sectors in the world will have competitors in it and it’s not about how you can be different through option but, how you are unique because of you.
To become truly unique you need to understand what you do, how you do it and what makes you unique from the pack. What is it that sets you out from the rest that no one else can replicate because it’s unique to you.
The best ways we have found to become unique are:
- Recognise patterns of behavior
- Ask what others know you for
- Are there any consistent trends throughout your life
- Spending long periods of time without interruptions from the outside world to think, no speaking allowed!
- Being alone for long periods of time so you can reflect
- Once found, subtly emphasising your own way of doing things
This can transpire into your life and business and people will start to associate that with uniqueness with you. For instance, I am always known for wearing shorts and yes I am that guy that wears them in winter, and now everyone comments when am not in shorts.
Summary
Unique — It’s something that separates you from others and people can’t replicate. Being different means that your process can be replicated by others.
Being different for the sake of being different now makes you ‘normal’ because everyone wants to be different and add their own way in.
To become unique you must understand yourself, your characteristics, your personality and whether it makes you great or not. The added characteristic must enhance you and people must know that it represents you!
Be You.
