Nobody wants to be boring but unfortunately, no one teaches us how not to be
which is why in this video, we are going to cover five things that you can do
to avoid boring everyone around you and instead
attract people to you like a magnet while enjoying your life much more.
So the first thing that you're going to want to cultivate is high energy and that is first thing in the morning.
You probably know someone that always seems to be in a joking fun positive mood
and maybe you admire it to think, "I could never do that he was just born that way."
Well, it's not as simple as that.
People with positive high-energy outlooks invariably have habits that prime them to feel excited and you can adopt those same habits to get the same results.
The important thing is that you do it first thing in the morning.
So play music you love, exercise, watch a YouTube video that always cracks you up,
do affirmations or just listen to a motivational audio tape on your way to work.
It might sound silly but priming yourself early in the day to smile
and feel good makes it so much easier to carry energy into all of your interactions.
Second, create a mental list of topics or activities that you can fall back on to liven up any conversation.
There are always going to be those times where we slip into boring conversations
so it's nice to know exactly what to do to get out of that trap.
People watching usually provide some interesting opportunities to break out a boring conversation and if you're app-reliant or just on a long trip,
I've found that people really enjoy playing the app Heads Up but
by far the most versatile topics are the ones that you are really enthusiastic about
because when you talk about things that you love passionately, that energy is contagious.
And if you're worried that no one in the group is going to share that enthusiasm about that topic, that's okay
because the point isn't necessarily to connect over that specific topic but to raise the energy of the whole group.
And if your enthusiasm wakes other people up, makes them smile, and gets them talking about something that they love,
now you're all out of the boring state.
Third is to learn to tell a good story.
The most boring part of most interactions is when someone starts to tell a
long-winded story in a way that no one cares about.
A true story is not just a chronological sequence of events.
A story has emotional states and tension.
It has an element of mystery that is typically resolved at the end.
And the nice thing is that good stories often make other people want to tell
their stories which can instantly make a conversation much more engaging.
There's so many more detail tips that I don't have time for in this video
so I'm just gonna put a link to our best storytelling videos up in the description.
Moving along, the next super important thing to make yourself more interesting
as a human being is to expand your circle of influence.
Sometimes it's all too easy to fall into a type.
In fact, when we're in school or college, many of us seek out a community of people just like us so that we can brand ourselves.
The problem comes when you become so identified with that brand in that
community that you're predictable and, quite frankly, boring.
So expand your circle of influences outside the norm of what your group normally accepts.
Read books that contradict your opinion, mingle with people who think differently, do activities that aren't you...
For instance, if you only read self-improvement books, try reading fiction.
If you're a weightlifter who is constantly trying to add more bulk, go to an acro yoga
class and if you think dancing just isn't something that you can do,
well, take a dancing class. That's what I did ten years ago and I have to say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
You don't need to do anything dangerous or unsafe but the more uncomfortable
the activity, the better the chance that you're breaking out of yourself-imposed
limitations and becoming a more well-rounded person.
Lastly, spend part of every day pursuing a dream.
Look, I know that this is a cliched advice but you've got one short life
and for a million reasons, you should try to fill it as much as possible
with the things that make you feel alive.
I know that when I was working a corporate job, I found it really hard to be engaging.
But as soon as I started the side project that eventually became Charisma on Command, my energy and excitement levels spiked.
Sure, I had to deal with a fear of sharing my most personal thoughts on the internet
where anyone could judge them but once I pushed through that fear, I felt so much more alive.
People started coming out of the woodwork to connect with me.
So even if it's for just an hour a day, find a way to pursue a big project that you really love.
Maybe you'll never become a big business or maybe it'll be your future career
but either way, you'll be glad you did and no one will find it boring.