Want to Be Original? Break the Rules of Originality.
Today I’m here to confirm that your fears have come true.
That book that you want to write? There are plenty of others on the same topic.
That idea you have for a business? It’s been done before.
That clever domain name you want to purchase? Someone beat you to it.
The list can go and on.
My point is that with so many people in the world, the odds of you coming up with an idea, name, topic or concept that nobody else has touched on before are pretty slim.
You’re not feeling so special just about now are you?
You may even be thinking, “What’s the point?” Because of this, most people give up before they even start trying.
They give up because they see a roadblock rather than an opportunity.
A no rather than a yes.
And an engrained mentality that there are rules to originality or to standing out.
As a rookie entrepreneur a year ago that was me. And boy was I wrong.
Take a minute to look around you.
Wherever you are at this moment observe the items in your environment. If you are at home you may see a few places to sit, a couple of cups, a few jackets hung up or perhaps a collection of pens at your desk.
Without knowing you, I’m willing to bet that all of your chairs, sofas, clothing, dishware and office supplies came from a few different brands, stores or designers.
The person who invented the first chair was not the sole person who continued to make chairs, eventually sofas, loveseats, recliners, barstools and benches.
One person may have been first to market with the idea but then the concept continued to grow by others’ unique ways.
That’s not to say nobody else thought of the concept before the first manufacturer patented and distributed it.
How many times have you seen a commercial for a product, read the title of a book or heard someone present a concept and thought, “Hey, I had thought of that!”
If you can relate, imagine how many other countless people may “have thought of that too.”
The world has 7.7 billion people (as of Nov. 2018). The odds of being the only one thinking of a specific concept are slim.
However, the odds of someone else being and thinking exactly like you are none.
So go ahead with that book idea.
Start that business.
Register for a similar type of domain name.
The concepts may already be in existence but they way you can uniquely present them as yourself is unchartered territory.
I’ll use myself as an example.
I am a leadership fanatic. I have quite a collection of leadership books. Although they all touch on the same topic, each author brings a unique perspective to the concept.
And guess what?
I too want to contribute to the literature on leadership.
It’s so easy to quit on the idea when you realize that new leadership paperbacks have been coming out at the rate of more than four per day (Amazon stats). However, the points of view on the topic are limitless.
In particular, your own point of view.
Now let’s go back to the 7.7 billion people on the planet.
There is no way they all have access or even heard of all the leadership authors, books and resources available.
Who’s not to say that your work is the one that they happen to come become aware of first?
So yes, your fears have come true.
Your ideas are not original. But that shouldn’t stop you.
Fears do not necessarily reflect reality. They are often a shield used to protect ourselves from feelings of rejection, low self-worth, uncertainty and failure.
If you acknowledge the fear you can ask yourself if it is truly valid.
In the case of pursuing a dream or doing something you feel passionate about, you never know if your perspective to a topic already in existence will produce a whole other genre of thinking.
The 7.7 billion people out there need you to add to the variety.
Life is about growth. And without growth of ideas, our world will eventually become stagnant.
So remember, the next time you feel yourself thinking “this has been done before,” smile rather than frown.
Why?
You’ve just discovered an opportunity to add your unique perspective to a concept that people have already shown interest in, increasing the chances of taking an interest in you.
I’m Andrea Claudia, my vision is to give people the courage to tell their stories in order to empower others. Did you enjoy this piece? I invite you to subscribe to and share your voice on WORTHY. Let’s start a movement reminding everyone it’s ok to be human.
