45 Ways to Stand Out From Everyone Else

Brad Szollose said, “If you really want the key to success, start by doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing.” 

Companies like Apple, Starbucks, and Southwest Airlines have had tremendous success because they took the road less traveled, they did things differently. Leaders such as Reed Hastings (Netflix co-founder and CEO), Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook COO), and Larry Page (Google co-founder and CEO), succeeded because they took a novel approach to how they live their lives, and how they run their companies.

You have to take an innovative approach if you want to stand out, otherwise…you’ll get lost in the background. If you’re not distinctive, you’ll be forgotten, and no one wants to be forgotten.

So here’s a list of 45 ways in which you can separate yourself from the pack!

Instead of:

1. Following all the rules, try breaking some rules
2. Meeting expectations, exceed expectations
3. Being good at everything, be great at one thing
4. Thinking small, think big
5. Executing your plan tomorrow, execute it today
6. Wishing for it, ask for it
7. Telling the facts, tell a story
8. Being negative, be positive
9. Feeling overwhelmed, feel well able to accomplish the task
10. Following the crowd, be the first to take a new approach
11. Being different, be better
12. Rushing, take your time
13. Thinking short-term, think long-term
14. Being like everyone else, be yourself
15. Spending, save
16. Being informational, be inspirational
17. Looking away, maintain eye contact
18. Being quiet, ask a question
19. Having lunch with friends, have lunch with someone new
20. Talking too much, be quiet
21. Procrastinating, act right now
22. Blending in, stand out
23. Doing it slow, do it fast
24. Thinking you can’t, think you can
25. Charging a fee, give it away
26. Being silent, introduce yourself
27. Feeling insecure, feel entitled
28. Dressing for comfort, dress for success
29. Playing it safe, take a risk
30. Being shy, be bold
31. Giving up, work harder
32. Speaking quietly, speak loudly
33. Being absorbed with yourself, be absorbed with others
34. Having poor posture, stand erect
35. Being an introvert, be an extrovert
36. Frowning, smile
37. Being selfish, be generous
38. Expecting to fail, expect to succeed
39. Sending an e-mail, stop by and visit
40. Avoiding failure, fail forward
41. Taking up as little space as possible, take up as much space as possible
42. Watching television, read a book
43. Avoiding conflict, become a peace broker
44. Saying yes, say no
45. Saying no, say yes