9 Tiny Ways To Stand Out — Even If You Have Zero Talent
Be so good you can’t be ignored.
Dean Drobot | Canva “I don’t think I’m good at anything. I don’t have any talent.” First of all, that’s crap. Everybody is talented at something. Whether it’s bringing people together or making people feel loved, we’ve all got something we’re good at. The only reason you think you have no talent is because you’re not grateful for what you can do. But that’s beside the point…
My job today isn’t to convince you that you have talent or help you find it. All we’re doing is dealing with the existing belief. If you think you have no talent, here are nine strategies you can use to ensure you still stick out like a sore thumb.
Here are 9 tiny ways to stand out — even if you have zero talent:
1. Always be punctual
Benjamin Franklin once had to deal with an employee who was chronically late. Each time the employee showed up late, he’d have a new excuse. One day, Franklin turned around and told the employee, “I have generally found that the man who is good at an excuse is good for nothing else.” I don’t know what happened next, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent the employee packing that day.
The moral of the story is simple. The absolute minimum you could do is be someone people can count on. Being punctual makes you dependable. You establish a reputation as a person who can be trusted. When you can be trusted, people call on you more. Be punctual to stand out.
2. Show up consistently
There’s no attendance sheet for life. But if there were, you’d notice the people at the top of their field are the ones who show up the most. This is what Zdravko Bato Cvijetic meant when he said, “The majority of goals people pursue don’t require innate talent, or working a 12-hour a day — in most cases they lack old-fashioned consistency.”
The more you show up and put your work out there, the more good things happen. I’m telling you this from experience. I was made redundant during the COVID-19 pandemic, but just before that happened, I was put on a furlough program — meaning the government paid 80% of my wages, but I was not allowed to engage in any work for my employer. During this period, I doubled down on Medium. Two days after being made redundant, someone popped into my LinkedIn inbox with an opportunity to work for their company on a freelance basis. I’ve been freelancing ever since.
Show up consistently and put in the work! You can’t get anywhere without doing so.
3. Give your all in everything you do
You’re not consuming Benjamin Hardy, Ph.D. content if you don’t hear him say, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” Since I started studying his content, this quote has been ringing in my head. And it’s true! If you cut corners on small things, you’ll cut corners on big things. It’s a habit.
For example, I used to make excuses to leave the gym without finishing my workout. I’d justify my actions by telling myself, “I’ll do it later.” Mind you, I didn’t do it later. This subconsciously trained me to think it’s okay to leave things 80% done and not do them to the best of my ability. I developed a habit of laziness and mediocrity, which translated to all areas of my life.
TLDR: Give your absolute best in anything you do. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is or isn’t doing — focus on your contribution. When you give your best, you may well end up inspiring others to give their best too.
4. Be extremely positive
Researchers from Northwestern University conducted a study to determine whether people adopt attitudes toward other individuals based on nonverbal signals directed toward them. The study subjects were asked to watch a brief silent video of individuals interacting, and then they were examined afterward. The findings revealed that the study subjects acquired the attitudes toward the individuals in the video based on the nonverbal signals displayed toward them. You probably knew this was true of the attitudes people were explicitly aware of (i.e., racism), but this study revealed it also impacts implicit attitudes.
Your attitude is contagious. When you’re constantly positive, you infect the people around you.
5. Express gratitude often
In 2016, researchers published an article on a positive psychology technique we’re all too familiar with called gratitude. Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful. The article revealed that expressing gratitude helps people acknowledge life's good aspects. This results in better relationships, hope, satisfaction, and proactive behaviors. Each time you choose to be grateful, you feel more fulfilled. People will see this and gravitate toward you naturally.
6. Focus on being resourceful
You can complain, or you can be resourceful. Complaining keeps you stuck; resourcefulness makes you better. Complaining creates limitations; resourcefulness creates a world of opportunities. Choose to be resourceful. Being resourceful means you’re solution-oriented — you look at problems holistically without judgment. Your main aim is to understand the full scope of what’s wrong so that you can devise the most optimal solution.
Here’s another difference between complaining and being resourceful: Complainers are avoided; resourceful people are sought out. Solving problems adds to society. Everyone wants a resourceful person on their team.
7. Be coachable
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players to have played the sport. He was an exceptional shooter and tenacious defender. Anyone who thrives in modern-day basketball is often likened to him to get a true sense of how good they are. To put things into perspective, he earned the nickname “Air Jordan” because of his extraordinary leaping ability and acrobatic maneuvers.
But Jordan didn’t believe all of these attributes were what made him great. He once said, “My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.” This is how you stand out! Being coachable means accepting you don’t have all of the answers. You’re open to being taught because you understand you’re not perfect. People appreciate it when you show them you’re willing to do what they say. They feel flattered and are willing to invest more time since they know it’s not going to waste. Allow yourself to be coachable if you wanna stand out.
8. Do more than what’s expected of you
Wanna know why I was able to charge freelance clients a premium? It’s because when they gave me a week to complete work, I’d return it to them in three days without any quality lacking. When they subscribed to one of my packages, I’d chuck in more — free of charge. Giving me a couple hundred extra dollars didn’t feel like a loss to them because they knew they’d get more than their money’s worth. Consistently doing more than what’s expected of you attracts the attention and respect of those who can improve your life. Don’t just do what it says in the spec!
My dad used to tell me this all the time. He’d say, “Don’t just wash your plate; clean whatever else you find in the sink.” The best way to make a good and lasting impression is to do more than what’s expected of you.
9. Believe in something bigger than yourself
It could be God. It could be the universe. It could be a company vision. It doesn’t matter what it is, just believe in something bigger than you!
Numerous studies have revealed that people who believe in a higher power are happier, less depressed, and less anxious than those who don’t. Believing in something greater than you eases your fear of uncertainty and gives meaning to your existence. These factors alone are enough to make people curious about you. You might hear them say things like, “There’s just something about you…” They can’t put their finger on it, but they know it’s there. Believe in something greater than you to stand out.
Please stop saying you have zero talent. The skills required to stand out are talent in and of itself. I’ve given you nine ways you could make it happen. This includes:
1. Always be punctual
2. Show up consistently
3. Give your all in everything you do
4. Be extremely positive
5. Express gratitude often
6. Focus on being resourceful
7. Be coachable
8. Do more than what’s expected of you
9. Believe in something bigger than yourself
When you’re so good, people won’t dare to ignore you.
Kurtis Pykes is a professional writer and author of the free e-book Don’t Just Set Goals, Build Systems. He's had articles featured on Medium, Nvidia blog, DataCamp, and neptune.ai, among many others.