For the B2B Writers International Book Club, we recently read 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan. In the book, they introduce the concept of developing your Unique Ability.
Your Unique Ability is your special way of creating value and making a difference. It’s the combination of your vision, purpose, and unique contributions only you can make.
Imagine you have a talent for strategic thinking. Your Unique Ability is understanding a company’s big-picture goals and creating marketing content that aligns with the overall business strategy. This skill goes beyond copywriting; you see how each piece of content fits into a broader plan.
Now, picture a business owner overwhelmed with their scattered marketing efforts. Using your Unique Ability, you can streamline these efforts and create a cohesive content strategy aligning with their vision and goals.
Your approach saves time and resources and ensures that every piece of content is effective. It leads to consistent branding, better audience engagement, and increased sales and growth.
When you live out your Unique Ability, your work feels less like a chore and more like a passion. You’ll make a bigger impact as you work in your zone of genius, where your contributions are most effective and valued.
5 Steps to Developing Your Unique Ability
Now, you may be thinking, “This sounds great, but how do I discover my Unique Ability?”
Dan Sullivan recommends five steps. They’re simple but not always easy.
1. Be Honest with Yourself
Step 1 might be the most challenging.
To develop your Unique Ability, you must start by being honest about what you want for your life. This means acknowledging your deepest desires and ambitions without censorship, fear, or doubt.
Being honest with yourself can be scary and uncomfortable, but don’t let fear stop you. Embrace the discomfort as a sign that you’re on the right path. Admitting your aspirations to yourself can provide clarity and direction.
For example, suppose you’re passionate about writing and have always wanted to publish a book. Admitting this to yourself can be the first step toward making it a reality. Speaking your dreams out loud or writing them down makes them more real and tangible.
If you don’t know what you want — and that’s not uncommon — spend 10 minutes daily journaling about your dreams and goals. Ask yourself questions like:
- What activities make me lose track of time because I enjoy them so much?
- What do I naturally excel at with little effort?
- What moments in my life have been the most fulfilling?
- What would I want to achieve if fear and money weren’t obstacles?
And remember, you don’t need to justify your dreams to anyone. These are your dreams, your goals, your unique visions.
2. Expand Your Vision
It’s time to think bigger about what you can achieve.
Instead of setting small, incremental goals, imagine what your life could look like if you aimed for exponential growth. This will push you to dream big and not limit yourself to what seems achievable.
Are you currently aiming to onboard five clients? What if you created a product or service that could reach hundreds or thousands of clients? Imagine the broader impact and possibilities that come with scaling your ambitions.
Start by writing down your current goals and then triple them. Ask yourself:
- What would I need to change or improve to achieve these bigger goals?
- What new skills or knowledge would help me reach this expanded vision?
- Who could I collaborate with to make these larger goals a reality?
Create a detailed picture of what success looks like on a larger scale. By pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, you can unlock new opportunities and achieve significant growth in your life.
3. Clarify Your Ideal Future Self
Visualize your ideal future self and what they are doing. Imagine the skills, habits, and activities that define this version of you. This will help you find the actions and decisions that align with your goals. The more detailed your vision, the more effectively you can work toward it.
If your ideal future self is a successful B2B copywriter running a thriving business, picture a typical day. Are you working with high-profile clients, speaking at industry events, or mentoring other aspiring copywriters? What skills have you mastered, and what daily habits have you adopted?
Create a detailed description of your ideal future self. Write about:
- Your professional accomplishments and daily work routine.
- The skills and expertise you have developed.
- Your personal life, including hobbies, relationships, and lifestyle.
Use this description as a roadmap. Regularly review and refine it as your goals and aspirations evolve. By having a clear vision of your ideal future self, you can make more informed and aligned decisions on your path to success.
4. Clarify the 20% for Mastery
Identify the 20% activities that will help you develop mastery and experience a significant jump in freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose. This principle is derived from the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
By focusing on these high-impact activities, you can achieve greater success with less effort.
It might feel intimidating, but the magic happens in the 20%. It’s where your Unique Ability lies.
As a B2B copywriter, the critical 20% might include activities like:
- networking with potential clients,
- refining your writing skills,
- creating high-quality content that showcases your expertise.
These activities directly contribute to building your reputation, attracting clients, and generating revenue.
Make a list of your regular tasks. Then, find the top 20% that have the most significant impact on your goals. Ask yourself:
- Which tasks directly contribute to my income and professional growth?
- What activities bring the most value to my clients?
- Which skills, when improved, would have the most impact on my success?
Once you have identified these activities, allocate more time and resources to them. Consider delegating or eliminating less impactful tasks to free up time for what truly matters.
5. Let Go of the 80%
To make room for the 20%, you must let go of the 80%. This means prioritizing activities and delegating or eliminating those that don’t contribute significantly to your goals.
Letting go can be challenging and scary, especially if you’re used to doing everything yourself, but it’s essential. Focusing on the 20% is where your Unique Ability shines.
Here’s an example. Maybe you have a low-paying client that takes up much of your time. You like the client, and the work is steady, but the time it takes keeps you from moving toward your Unique Ability. This client might be part of the 80% that needs to go, so you have more time for higher-impact work.
Conduct a time audit for one week to see where your time goes. Find the tasks that fall into the less impactful 80%. Ask yourself:
- Can I delegate this to someone else?
- Is this contributing to my key goals and growth?
- What tasks or clients can I drop without adverse consequences?
Once you’ve identified the 80% of tasks, create a plan to delegate or eliminate them. This might involve hiring a virtual assistant, using automation tools, or saying no to projects that don’t align with your priorities.
By freeing up your time from low-impact activities, you can dedicate more energy to the high-impact tasks that align with your Unique Ability and drive significant results.
Conclusion
Developing your Unique Ability can transform your life by allowing you to focus on what you do best and what you love most. Don’t wait to get started. Take action today by applying these steps and watch how your life begins to change.
If you want further inspiration, I recommend reading 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan. It’s a fantastic resource that dives deeper into the concepts we’ve discussed.
