Seth Godin’s harsh! But I love it.

These are the three points from his Guardian piece on how to be remarkable that really resonated with me. I’ve added some thoughts of my own.

2. Remarkable doesn’t mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you’re average, and average is for losers.

Whether or not someone’s average depends on what crowd s/he hangs out with. A lot of people are convinced they’re above average only because their frame of reference doesn’t reflect quality. So you might think you’re not average and hence, not a loser. But chances are, most of us are average losers. ;)

6. Not everyone appreciates your efforts to be remarkable. In fact, most people don’t. So what? Most people are ostriches, heads in the sand, unable to help you anyway. Your goal isn’t to please everyone. Your goal is to please those that actually speak up, spread the word, buy new things or hire the talented.

Problem is, if the majority of people fail to appreciate you and actually think you’re a jerk, it’ll be impossible to get anything done. No matter how much the higher-ups might like and are impressed by you, if you can’t lead because others refuse or unable to help you, you’re useless.

10. What’s fashionable soon becomes unfashionable. While you might be remarkable for a time, if you don’t reinvest and reinvent, you won’t be for long. Instead of resting on your laurels, you must commit to being remarkable again quite soon.

I never stop striving for excellence. And I never shy away from trying something new no matter the obstacles and difficulties involved. Maybe one of these days I’ll hit upon remarkable.

What do you think is the secret to being remarkable?

egyptian pyramid
Photo: Paul Mannix

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