Finding your unique value as an individual is as important as building your personal brand. A person with an authentic and unique value can impact others while finding opportunities for themselves. Think of it this way, like a brand has got a proposition that differentiates it from others and gives it an advantage over other brands, so does an individual's unique value allow him to portray himself with a distinctive mindset and character that is unlike any other. This is very important not only to identify but also to portray through your actions and on your resume.
You must have heard about ikagai which is a Japanese method that allows you to find “the reason of being”. It is the confluence of what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for and what you are good at. It allows you to build an identity for yourself that is special and that differentiates you from all the other 7 billion people out there. You have to ask yourself questions and introspect to figure this out. Take a bit of time for this. It is alright if you haven’t got everything figured out. To maximize potential and impact having a distinctive ability and way to do things is important. All of the world’s brilliant thinkers and visionary have figured out what they want and are working towards establishing something they will be known for. Be it Elon Musk, who wants to be known for his innovative and moonshot thinking, or Emma Watson for her gender equality while building a niche for themselves.
It is essential to understand the ‘why’ behind things because it allows you to question yourself on why you want to do a particular thing. Finding your ikagai will allow you to find your unique value prop as a person. In a world where life continues to get exponentially faster, it’s important that we understand ourselves + are able to activate our own opportunities based on those strengths. Being a hustler (i.e. a go-getter) and having a growth mindset is something that is not precisely a differentiator. Be specific and achieve more through niche projects. You have to be someone who can be a combination of certain skills and mindsets that people will identify you for.
Identifying this is a simple three-step process:
- Ask questions to yourself about why and what you are doing something for? Write them down. Ask other people to describe you. This will give you an insight as to what is that you want to achieve.
- Make your ikagai. Just start even though you think that you are not done yet. Make it changeable and something that can evolve.
- Post content for this and include this as a personal style in any way in everything you do.
