Unleash the freak

?? How weird do you reckon you are, on a scale of one to ten?

I used to go with a conservative 6 – not weird enough to attract much attention, but definitely weirder than the average person walking around.

Obviously, there’s no standard scale we can use to measure these things. (Shame.)

?? But our weirdness level tends to reveal itself in the reactions of other people.

?? When they react with “Really?” “How unusual” or “For the love of god, why?!” when you tell them something about yourself, it suggests that you might be doing something that goes a little against the norm....

Take my holidays for example:

Since the age of 25, I’ve taken the majority of my holidays alone.

?? The first time was actually my 25th birthday when, shortly after a breakup, I decided to hop it on a small propellor plane to Jersey (mostly to hold a finger up to my ex who had refused to get a passport for the entirety of our relationship.)

?? But sipping cappuccinos across the way from glamorous-looking French women giving me a head bob of recognition, I was HOOKED!

Dining alone wasn’t sad – it was continental. And being continental translated to cool.

?? But even 9 years on, I still sometimes feel self-conscious when people question my lone traveling. No, it’s not just because I’m single – I have plenty of friends who are willing, able (and sometimes desperate) to head into the wilderness with me, and I've had a few partners who could have tagged along.

But invariably, I opt to go alone.

?? Because, weird as it may be, I prefer it.

?? I’m even typing this in a bar in Bowness in the Lake District. Alone. Admittedly with a dog on my lap, obscuring half the screen (because dog-sitting can fit in rather nicely with my wandering ways!)

Anyway, why am I telling you this?

I’m of the opinion that we’re all weird.

We might not recognise all the ways that we sit outside of societal norms until we get in conversations with people who sit outside of our social group.

But then we can discover that we have quirks that not everybody has, interests that are semi-unusual, or ideas that go against the grain.

And that’s not a bad thing.

Anyone who went to a rough secondary school (like me) will probably have internalised the belief that being weird = bad, because that makes you an obvious target for small minded bullies.

That mindset can follow us into adulthood as we find ourselves adapting to fit into certain social groups, workplaces, or industries.

????But one thing I’ve learned from trying to bend to fit in is that it feels uncomfortable after a while. ????

?? You can begin to feel like a fraud in your own life, saying things that go against your real thoughts because you're trying to fit in. Even if it’s only a little bit.

It might not feel important in the moment, but these minor adjustments build over time and become a drain on your energy.

It becomes a weight that you carry around your neck which accumulates and gets more and more uncomfortable.

?? And the worst part is, we often don’t realise it’s happening, because the effect is so slow and incremental, like erosion.

?? But unlike erosion, we can do something to stop this decay. It’s not a fully natural process – it’s something we've learned, and something we’re (possibly unconsciously) opting into. But that means we can choose to do things differently.

????And that starts with reclaiming your inner weirdo. ????

(Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be anything drastic!)

Just have a think about all those things about yourself that might have made people recoil, question, or act with suspicion around in the past.

This might include:

• ?Hobbies
• ?Interests
• Preferences
• Opinions
• Quirks
• Habits
• Activities

?? Here are some of my 'weird things' for your perusal (and possibly judgement):

?? I’ve always had a fascination with death – I used to spend a lot of time in graveyards as a kid

?? And one of the first jobs I wanted to do was in pathology (performing autopsies)

?? I have a weird habit of chewing sponge (specifically clean, unused face sponges. Literally have no explanation for this one….)

?? My newest hobby is cold water dipping. And now it’s summer and the water isn’t chilly enough, I’ve had to opt for cold showers.

?? Make a list of any and every weird thing about yourself. Even if historically you've been too embarrassed to share or thought that people might judge you for it.

This is important because the parts of ourselves we are most embarrassed about are often the things that help us deeply connect with others.

?? Think of that feeling of relief you get when you say something abstract and someone says “Oh my god, me too!” It feels like a part of your soul has been liberated!

And guess what I’m going to suggest?

???? Bring some your weirdness into your content. ????

Because that feeling of liberation compounds every time someone else sees it and resonates with it.

?? And an extra bonus? The more people can get to know the real you, the more they can connect with you. Which can only be brilliant for business.

?? COACHING ACTIONS + QUESTIONS ??

Finish the following sentences to help explore your weirdness in all its technicoloured glory:

• The ways I like to relax include…
• I feel happy when I…
• A weird habit I have is…
• When I was a kid, people thought it was strange that I…
• I’ve been called ‘quirky’ in the past because…

-- How many people do you think might resonate with one of the answers you’ve written above?

-- How might they feel to know that someone else thinks/feels/does this too?

If the idea of sharing any of the above feels horrifying, don’t worry – that’s a completely normal reaction to exposing a part of yourself that you’ve consciously or subconsciously hidden (or had an adverse reaction to in the past.)

So I’m actively not advocating sharing anything that would make you feel grossly uncomfortable.

?? But if you feel like this article may have given you a nudge to get your freak on, I’d love to see your post on LinkedIn this week!

Use the hashtag #ContentCoachingOverCoffee or give me a tag, and I'll be right over to celebrate your weirdness!

?? Because LinkedIn needs of the good kind of weirdos.

-- Alice ??

------------------

P.S - want help letting your freak flag fly?

?? Then you'll LOVE the Badass Content Club!

?? Join a small group of other purpose-driven business owners to learn how to take your LinkedIn content from bland to badass (without burning out) so you can grow your visibility, find your dream clients and make them love you!

?? 6 x live calls, replays and a WhatsApp group will help you consistently move from idea to implementation to give you all the clarity, creativity and confidence you need to succeed.

??It's ￡350 to get involved, full details are here, with an explainer video here!

?? Calls start on Thurs 11th Aug. If you want in, just dm me!