Being an Outlier: Making A Case For Or Against

Written by Ogechukwu Beluonwu-Ogbo

To avoid providing a dictionary definition of the term “outlier,” it is reasonable to assume that the term refers to a person who possesses a strong balance of dedication, competence, and knowledge application.

Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell, this word has become well-known in the literary world. On the main scale, it appears that the rule is easy when contemplating the undergraduate stages of one’s life for those who have chosen to pursue an education, as well as during the early stages of entrepreneurship when the business scale focuses around only a little expansion.

As life becomes more complicated in the sense of “adulthood” (as we have come to adapt into a lingua that depicts paying bills), having a progressive career, being a good friend/child, educational development, and an array of other role plays that are distinctive on each person’s unique life trajectory, a question that most likely rises to the top of the list is how one can possibly remain relevant without putting in as much work.

Being an outlier appears to have no hard and fast rules other than putting in the requisite amount of effort. Contrary to popular belief, which often goes along the lines of being “well connected” in society and not necessarily having the highest academic qualifications, a lot more would be required to keep whatever position was won through the process stated above.

It’s critical to remember the three pillars of an outlier’s components, which were identified in the first paragraph and are:

I. Dedication

Malcolm’s overall point is that putting in the most hours into an activity typically leads to brilliance. This, however, adds to the reality that it is exceedingly unlikely that someone who engages in a long-term activity that they dislike will remain committed to it. This does not negate any contrary evidence you, the reader, may possess; but, it is quite uncommon for the same person to be satisfied in the same function while also displaying the highest level of dedication at the same time.

This depicts a difficult situation, as we frequently find ourselves in situations when we doubt the desirability of staying committed under the most trying of conditions. The athlete who has to train all year for international events with a life span of 5–7 days on average comes to mind as an example. Identifying your burnout phases is one of the hidden factors to consider when it comes to fueling commitment. This can be accomplished by categorizing the year into tiers or batches and allowing yourself “breath breaks.” This is helpful as it is more rewarding to have a mental alignment into achieving daily milestones as it relates to your career. This does not negate your daily goal self-reward, which, depending on your personality and financial circumstances, may be highly useful.

ii. Skill

Is it too corny to remind you of a verse from the Bible that says, “Seest a man who is diligent in his work, he shall stand before kings and queens. He shall not stand before mean men”.

During a conversation with a friend, I came to the conclusion (and perhaps you should as well) that at the start of the journey of self-discovery, you must choose which path you will follow, which requires answering the following questions: Do I enjoy a monotonous routine? or am I looking for an exciting career path? This is not to say that the “Improvisation” guideline does not allow for flexibility to make more room for each individual’s sense of “fun” even in a mundane work environment.

After you’ve answered this question, you’ll be able to choose the optimum skill acquisition cycle for you, putting you in a better position in terms of knowledge retention. Even though 2020 was a difficult year, it brought with it a greater reliance on technology and a variety of useful materials, resulting in a ground-breaking development of knowledge in practically all fields of practice.

The typical working-class Nigerian begins work at 8 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m., returns home at 8 p.m., and spends the time between 8 and 10 p.m. catching up on social media. This cycle, which appears to be tedious, may also necessitate at least a 3-hour daily commitment to cover ground in acquiring skills in an area as well as applying oneself to opportunities, which transforms knowledge into a sturdy residue of innovation and ingenuity with long-term peer-to-peer relevance.

iii. Practical Application of Knowledge

Having knowledge is good but practical application of knowledge to real-life situations makes the learning process even more worthwhile.

For those already working full-time, you may think that this doesn’t apply to you because you’re doing great, but “hollup!” because, aside from private employment achievements, which can be limited depending on the work environment, “variety is the spice of life,” as a popular quote goes, and as discussed in (ii) above, can be adapted for improvement. Academic papers, research, mooting, pro bono services, speaking engagements, debates, and seminars are all places where you can share your knowledge and demonstrate your abilities in areas that need to be addressed.

These are tasks that can take anything from an hour to many weeks, but they guarantee and ensure visibility as well as long-term benefits. It’s vital to emphasize that you can’t get to this point without first going through the skill acquisition process, which takes time and effort because you can’t give what you don’t have.

Overall, it is critical to have a close-knit network of people who are cut from the same or higher fabric, as this will make the journey more enjoyable. Finally, take a pause, perhaps learn for 4 hours and find satisfaction in doing so, then equate your work-time to a solid 2–3 hours of practical knowledge acquisition, bringing you to 6–7 hours, which can be comparable to 10 hours in the long run once the important element of dedication is present.

I’m so certain that you would be an outlier on the application of all three ingredients!

Oge is a Legal Practitioner called to the Nigerian Bar. She advises on commercial transactions which have a nexus between Arbitration, Technology Law and Finance. You are most likely to find her being either a proper foodie, surfing the internet for new knowledge or binging on a movie during her leisure.

Connect with Ogechukwu on LinkedIn and Instagram

Edited by Naimah M. Akinoso