Have you ever wondered what’s one very fast way to identifying your niche? Do you ever feel like you might be good at a few things, but you still don’t know how you are unique? Many people I coach ask me what they can do to find their niche, especially when they are confused about what makes them unique. They will often comment how they can see where others have a niche, but feel that they don’t have some incredible talent that will make them “big” on some reality show, like “So You Think You Can Dance” or “American Idol.”
The solution is so simple, that you may question if it works. The fact is that most of our most elusive answers are staring us right in the face, but are often missed because we try to think too hard. My counsel is to relax and ask yourself one powerful question.
“What question(s) are people asking me when they say ‘Can I pick your brain for a minute?’”
Think back. Have you ever had someone ask you about how you did something? When people kept asking me how I was able to “get out of the rat race” within a few months, I decided that I needed to share those secrets.
Do you have a certain skill where someone said “Can you teach me that?” Or, have you overcame a certain experience, such as death of a loved one, divorce, financial ruin, raising children, passed a training, etc? Sometimes, we discredit our own uniqueness because “it’s just our life.” However, there are others that have questions or problems that want answers that YOU can offer.
One thing you can count on is that no one has quite had the life that you had. Look for some experiences in your life that taught you a lesson or skill, even if only used that one time. For example, most people don’t know that I was one of the nation’s top amateur ballroom dancers, or that I made it to a playoff round of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in 2000 (Unfortunately, I never got on the show). There are certain questions I can answer, beyond financial questions, that most can’t.
In summary, ask yourself the following questions.
- What was I being asked to teach or do when someone asked “Can I pick your brain for a minute?”
- What skill/hobby did a person ask me to teach them?
- What difficult experiences did I overcome?
- What do I constantly get compliments on that I downplay?
- What “quirky” things do I do?
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