The Habits That Make You Different Are the Ones That Will Make You Successful
Is there anything you do (or don’t do) that others find strange?
For example, here are a few of my abnormal habits:
- I spend 2–3 hours reading and writing every single night.
- I take notes in every book I read and record quotes and ideas on notecards.
- I don’t have an Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat account.
- I rarely watch, read, or listen to the news.
Whenever I tell someone about something on the list above, they ask me a bunch of questions. People find these habits odd, so they want to learn more.
And whatever modicum of success I’ve had thus far in my career, I would credit to these abnormal habits. Why? Because the things that make us abnormal are often the same things that become our superpowers.
“What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength,” says Meryl Streep.
Meryl would know. She’s not a typical Hollywood celebrity. She privately donates millions to charity (Forbes undercovered this while investigating her tax records), prioritizes time with family amidst her busy schedule, and supposedly still performs household chores. “I try to lead as ordinary a life as I can,” says Streep. “You can’t get spoiled if you do your own ironing.”
None of these habits align with the self-absorbed, attention-seeking, and arrogant Hollywood stereotype. And yet, those are the types of things that make Streep so lovable and relatable. She is a universal icon of class and character.
The things that make us abnormal are often the same things that become our superpowers.
From sports to art to business to music, those who find success are often those who do things in a different way.
Normal habits lead to normal outcomes.
Abnormal habits lead to abnormal outcomes.
The writers who sell the most books are those who push boundaries that others won’t push. For example, I’ve recently studied the habits and work of Chuck Palahniuk and Stephen King. Palahniuk became popular by writing dark, nihilistic stories that readers found jarring, but also memorable. Similarly, King was chided in high school for writing horror stories. Although his teachers found the stories abhorrent, King refused to stop writing them. Palahniuk’s and King’s uniqueness is what makes us read their work.
Similarly, the Impressionist painters in Paris (Monet, Renoir, Manet, Pissarro, and Cézanne — to name a few) decided to spurn the Parisian art establishment by painting contemporary scenes with visible brush strokes rather than painting historical or allegorical scenes in the traditional style of the era. The Impressionists’ unique style spurred one of the most famous movements in art history. Their difference became their strength.
Even in business, the sales reps who close the most deals are often the ones who have created their own script — who find a unique, more authentic way to connect with prospective clients. They sound like real people rather than salesy robots.
What makes YOU different?
Have you been hiding those differences?
Maybe the very thing that you’ve been hiding is exactly what the world needs from you. We’re all waiting to meet the real you.
