Figuring Out What Makes You Special

No one wants to feel ordinary: a replaceable part in society, the workplace, or in relationships.

Fortunately, even identical twins

aren’t completely identical. So there probably are myriad ways you different from The Norm. But how do you figure out what makes you special, and more challenging, how you might better use your specialness to enhance your place in the world?

These questions derived from a chapter in my just-published book, Careers for Dummies may help:

Looking forward

The year is still 2018 and while you have all your memories and lessons learned, you’re, voila, 17 years old. What would you do careerwise that’s at least slightly unconventional?  

Would it be different if you were 30?

Anything unconventional regarding relationships?

How about avocationally?

You’re in perfect health but have only one day left to live. How do you spend it?

What if you have one year left?

If you were to give a last lecture, broadcast on CNN, at the end of which you dropped dead, what would your main point(|s) that is at least slightly unconventional?

Lessons from your past

What’s something unusual about you, even weird?

Do you have a second unusualness?

Have you had an unusual accomplishment or two?

What’s one or two unconventional things you’ve done?

If a few people who knew you well were sitting around a table and you asked them, “What makes me different from the average bear?” 

what would they say?

The takeaway

As you review your answers, can you identify at least one thing that makes you different from said average bear?

And does that suggest something you actually want to do more of, less or, or something completely new? 

Do you want to do it now? 

At some date certain?

About Author

Marty Nemko, Ph.D., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.