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What only you can do
Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits offers a reminder that is easy to forget. No one can do what you can do, exactly the way you can do it. It is not flattery. It is a simple observation. Your mix of experience, skills, relationships and perspective has never existed before and will never exist again.
In a world of comparison, that idea matters. We often measure ourselves against people who seem faster, smarter or more successful. However, comparison assumes we are running the same race. In reality, each person brings a unique combination. A teacher with a background in theatre explains things differently. An engineer who grew up in a family business sees problems through a special lens.
Finding the work you can do best
So how do you turn uniqueness into value? Start by listing the unusual overlaps in your life. Which two or three fields do you know that rarely meet? Scott Adams called this talent stacking. Being very good at a combination of skills often beats being the best at one. For example, a marketer who codes or a lawyer who writes clearly stands out quickly.
Next, pay attention to what feels easy for you but hard for others. Those tasks often hide your real strengths. Friends and colleagues can help here. Ask them what they would come to you for. Their answers may surprise you, because we tend to undervalue what comes naturally.
Finally, give yourself permission to do things your way. Imitation is a good start, but it should not be the end. The world does not need another copy. Instead, it needs what you can contribute when you trust your own approach and keep refining it with practice.
