Do you stand out in a crowd?

Keep Your Eyes On Your Desk!

Watch young children on the playground and you will notice them trying to duplicate each other. One hangs upside down on the monkey bars, and soon everyone is doing the same. Teens behave the same way;  one tries an extreme hair color or social media challenge, and soon their friends are following suit, sometimes with bad results.

So is it any wonder that we continue trying to be like others as adults? We look at a colleague’s approach to getting new business, then we do the same–regardless of the fact that we haven’t seen great results or any results at all!

Is there an alternative to this senseless copy-cat approach to life? Yes–but making the change may not be so easy. You begin by looking inside rather than outside. With all the distractions competing for your attention, this may be the most difficult step. Nevertheless, take a look inside to determine your best talents and skills. Ask yourself, “What do I do well? What are my strengths? What do I enjoy doing the most?”

Next, write yourself a plan that incorporates your answers into a personal action plan. Remember, you were born an original, so put that originality to work. To help the plan work, avoid distractions from those who question your new direction, and learn to avoid to copy what others are doing.

To avoid distractions, consider moving your desk, working from your home office, or avoiding the social scene at your office. Focus your time and attention on achieving your new-found objectives. To duplicate yourself, hire assistants to prepare direct mail or update your website. Avoid all the tasks that you can hire someone else to do.

Simply put, mind what you learned in school, and don’t look at someone else’s work–they may not have the answer, either!