The 2 percent mindset is a great theory. Let’s discuss it here!
Everyone is different. I like to think of the world as two sets of people: the 98 percent that live life shaparoned by their very nature, playing it safe only to end up exactly where they intended to: nowhere great. Then, there is the other 2 percent, of whom are not afraid to step out of their comfort zones, and take on great challenges in life!
What I Learned
When I was CEO of iLookin.com, I was introduced to the idea of the 2 percent mindset, which is a theory that only 2 percent of individuals are capable of living outside of their comfort zone. These individuals are smarter than most, and are equally as compelling when they venture into the unknown and begin to take problems head-on! This is what everyone should strive to be: a free thinker, someone who does not take “no” for an answer. But what defines the 2 percent mindset? How can you be among it?
First step: allow yourself to step into the unknown. When there is nothing around you but darkness, your job is to find the light. But that light can only be found by searching the emptiness that surrounds you. If you are willing to step out of the light and into darkness in an effort to find an even brighter light, you must be willing to accept the danger of the unknown. This is the first step to being part of the 2 percent!
Second step: embrace questions. Always asking questions will help you become part of the 2 percent. They are people who do not live based on answers; they enjoy the art of asking questions, talking to strangers, and looking at life as a constant variable. That variable can change on a whim; you must adapt to the situation to succeed.
Third step: there was a time when I was a music producer. I worked alongside a great frontman named Corey Taylor. During a take, I told him to go somewhere he would not necessarily go before; somewhere he was afraid to dwell. That was the best take we got, and he was gagging to the point of disgust because he enveloped himself in the unknown. When you step outside of where you would normally go, and instead decide to avoid all of your natural instincts, you are one step closer to being a 2 percenter.
Embrace The Unknown
The end goal is to learn to embrace the unknown. Step outside of your comfort zone, and you may land yourself a better job, or you may find the love you desire, and you may find yourself functioning not as a member of society but as a member of your own world. It sounds a bit like textbook insanity, but the 2 percent mindset depends on something almost similar to mania. Do not do anything stupid, though, because whether we all like it or not, we are members of a coordinated system of laws and rules.
So, it is not so much a matter of embracing your own world but rather, taking what exists and challenging it in a logical and rational manner. The best example of this is learning to ask questions. How do you grow as a person, and how do you separate yourself from the rest? Statistics show that only about 22 percent of people are willing to ask a question that they know has no immediate answer, and only 2 percent of them are willing to search for that answer. Find below an example from a client of mine.
I had a client who had a great life vision: to prove the existence of God, but in doing so he intended on making the deity more powerful by proving its existence. Whether religious or not, or agnostic, or non-believing, the point is not if God exists; it is formulating questions and seeking answers that may take your entire life to prove. In doing so, you are able to find meaning in things that most people take for granted, like the idea of God’s existence or the idea of figuring out an equally inconclusive question.
What To Do!
Learn to ask questions, to embrace the unknown, and to venture out of your comfort zone. This will lead you in the right direction. Remember, there is no wrong way or right way to live life, but if you want to be part of the 2 percent, step outside of your comfort zone; ask a question no one has an answer for…and then set out to solve that question!
Reblogged this on Valiance Coaching and commented:
Dug this one out from the grave!
I couldn’t agree more. I actually believe that it is something you are born with. Almost something innate. You just naturally achieve, not in a “braggy” way but naturally and systematically. Thanks for reading!