How do you stop living on autopilot and find your real path (without copying other people’s success metrics)?

What does Awaken Your Genius teach about escaping conformity and building creativity through focus and experimentation?

Awaken Your Genius by Ozan Varol shares a practical approach to personal growth: shed limiting identity labels, reduce distraction, think more deeply, run small experiments, and define success on your terms—while learning to tolerate uncertainty. Continue reading for a step-by-step “try this today” plan—an attention detox, a simple experiment sprint, and a personal success-metrics checklist—to turn insights into measurable weekly progress.

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Author Ozan Varol started his professional life in astrophysics, then pivoted to law before leaping to full-time writing and speaking. In this engaging introduction to holistic personal development, Varol distills principles for self-discovery from his personal journey of “waking up.” The process begins by eliminating what isn’t you, then observing and experimenting to find out what is. Varol offers his strategies for deep thinking and creativity, marching to the beat of your own drum and embracing the (uncertain) future.

Take-Aways

• Personal change means leaving behind who you were before.
• To carve out space for self-discovery, take a step back from your identity, beliefs and tribe.
• Detox from distractions, so you can focus on what matters.
• Discover your core “building blocks” so you can adapt but still be yourself.
• Set your own success metrics.
• Unlock your inner wisdom by thinking deeply and critically.
• You can overcome barriers to creativity – just get started.
• Embrace uncertainty – it’s part of the process.

Summary

Personal change means leaving behind who you were before.

People often sleepwalk through life. They follow someone else’s script, chasing outward success without asking why. When you begin to chart your own course, you will transform. As a result, your whole life might change.

“I couldn’t fully step into who I was becoming without completely letting go of who I once was.”

When a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, it first disintegrates. The undoing precedes the remaking. Your metamorphosis may be the same.

Change is not easy. Personal transformation might mean leaping into the unknown without a safety net or giving up a position you worked hard to secure. Others may feel confused or threatened by the alterations they see in you, especially if they have chosen stagnation.

To carve out space for self-discovery, take a step back from your identity, beliefs and tribe.

In the same way that a snake must shed its skin to grow, you may need to shed the trappings of your current life to move forward.

First, recognize that many aspects of the identity you hold right now – your job, relationships, self-perceived strengths and weaknesses – are not essential parts of yourself. On the contrary, these facets can become self-fulfilling prophecies that hold you back. People who think of themselves as socially awkward, for example, might avoid socializing and fail to develop the skill. The truth is that identity is malleable and multifaceted: It is a “snakeskin” you can discard when it no longer serves you.

The same goes for your beliefs. Over-identifying with your opinions can close your mind to alternative ways of thinking – they will feel too threatening to consider. Try holding your ideas more loosely. When you encounter disagreement, get curious: What might others see that you’re not seeing? Think of your beliefs as a continual work in progress, adaptable in the face of new information, rather than as a set of certitudes.

“If I find myself being hypocritical, I take that as a sign that my mind might be changing – and that’s a good thing for a mind to do from time to time.”

Assess the influence of your group identity, or “tribe.” Tribalism comes naturally to humans; people tend to divide the world into “us” and “them,” even when there is no meaningful difference between groups. Political conservatives are an example of a modern-day tribe, as are vegans, gamers, and Crossfitters. Membership in a tribe is a mixed bag: You gain connection to like-minded others, but it’s easy to lose sight of outsiders’ humanity and complexity. You can find yourself in an echo chamber that discourages unconventional truth-seeking. Develop a robust and independent sense of self that doesn’t rely on acceptance from your in-group. Learn to be comfortable in a less black-and-white world.

If taking a less attached perspective feels difficult, try shifting your context for a time. Travel to a foreign country or give yourself “a shot of awe” by gazing at the night sky. These humbling, sometimes disorienting experiences can open you up to different points of view.

Detox from distractions, so you can focus on what matters.

Your attention is your most scarce resource, because you can only truly focus on one thing at a time. But if you are like many people, you give just a fraction of your attention to everything you do. To be fully present and able to think clearly, you must be intentional about what takes up space in your mind. Watch out for two sources of distraction in particular: information (often digital) and misplaced productivity.

“The path to tuning in to the genius within begins by tuning out the noise without.”

Like food, information can be nourishing or empty. News and social media intrude relentlessly on many people’s focus. The desire to “stay current” keeps them returning for more, but there’s little substance in today’s breaking news reports, op-eds, online discussions or podcasts.

To break out of the news-consumption cycle, opt for quality over quantity and frequency: Think books, not blog posts. It can also help to recognize that digital media is designed to manipulate your impulses. Try a “mental speed bump” when you find yourself moving toward a source of distraction: Pause and ask whether spending your time in that way will truly satisfy the need you’re feeling.

“The easiest way to change your reality is to change how you use your attention.”

Another primary source of distraction is your to-do list. In a society that idolizes productivity, busyness can be addictive. You can tick boxes all day without getting any closer to achieving what’s important, however. Hustling shrinks your capacity for originality. The truth is, you will never feel “on top of everything.” So carve out regular pockets of peace and quiet and stop trying to do it all. Choose some unimportant balls to drop, so you can juggle the balls you care about most.

Discover your core “building blocks” so you can adapt but still be yourself.

You weren’t made to fit in. Everyone has something unique to offer; by contorting yourself to fit preexisting molds, you deprive the world of your gift.

You can think of approaches to living as blueprints or recipes. Your essential traits, skills and interests are the building blocks or ingredients. When you identify these, you can try different recipes using those elements over time, reimagining the possibilities as you go. You aren’t stuck copying what others do or even what you have done in the past. By living out your core principles in this way, you will become extraordinary.

You don’t have to stick with just one recipe at a time, either. Aim for personal diversification: Cultivate many interests, skills and identities.

Your core building blocks, and the right blueprint to follow, might be obscure to you. Start with some reflection. What feels like play to you but work to others? What did you love doing as a child? If no one knew what you were up to – and therefore couldn’t praise or judge you for it – what would attract your interest? Track what makes you come alive and what depletes or bores you. Consider your purpose in life and what you’ll regret not having done.

“Action is the best teacher.”

Beware of overthinking. Discovering what you want requires ongoing experimentation. You don’t know if your dream job is the real thing until you’ve experienced the daily grind. If you think you want to be a podcaster, for instance, produce 10 episodes and see how it goes. Don’t seek a predetermined outcome for this trial; embrace the chance to learn. For every experiment you run, know what exactly you are testing, what a “successful” or “not successful” outcome looks like, and the specific date when the experiment will end.

Set your own success metrics.

Once you know who you are and what you want, how can you tell whether you are succeeding? Ultimately, you must define success for yourself.

Awards, titles and the like are poor metrics. They don’t always track merit – think of Glenn Close, who has been nominated for an Oscar eight times but has never won. You cannot control whether you win a game or get promoted, and chasing medals can distract you from what really matters. Comparison is a poor indicator of your progress, too. When you compare yourself to others, you implicitly adopt their success metrics; you try to be like them instead of being yourself. Nor does it work to say you want “more” or “better” for yourself. You must decide what counts as “enough,” or you will never get there.

“Competition and comparison are a form of conformity.”

Be wary of “shoulds.” Anytime you think you “should” hit a particular benchmark, ask whether that sense of obligation is really yours. You may be feeling the influence of others’ expectations more than your desires. When you discover a “should” you genuinely own, reframe it as a want or an opportunity.

Recognize that your success metrics will influence your behavior and that what matters isn’t always easy to measure. You can track something straightforward, like the number of articles you publish in a year and miss the goal of being a good writer. Never forget that metrics are a means to an end. When a metric stops serving your purpose, discard it.

When you live authentically, pursuing your own goals for your own reasons, you achieve or fail on your terms.

Unlock your inner wisdom by thinking deeply and critically.

You contain a treasure trove of wisdom drawn from your experiences, observations, mistakes and everything else that makes you unique. But without putting in the time and effort to mine your depths, this reservoir of riches will remain untapped.

The first step toward thinking well is unlearning any bad habits you picked up at school. The education system stifles curiosity and originality by leading students to expect easy answers to complex questions. Start asking, “Why?” Be skeptical of unqualified certitudes, and don’t run to Google when you have a question. Get comfortable with not having answers.

“Epiphanies are the product of a long, slow burn.”

Thinking itself requires sustained focus; the first ideas that spring to mind are rarely your best. Freewriting – writing down raw ideas purely to release them, not to show anyone – is an excellent way to discover and develop your thoughts. You may also benefit from “strategic” procrastination: starting on a project or train of thought, then letting it brew in the background while you take a break. If you’re prone to worrying about your ideas’ quality, create a space for idea generation where your inner critic has no role, and all notions, however ridiculous, are welcome. You can step back and evaluate later.

Don’t abandon reading and research entirely, but think of them primarily as prompts for your own reflections. When you do consult other sources for answers, think twice about their claims; misinformation is rampant. Look for nuance and detail; question absolutes and generalities. Remember that science is a method, not a set of static facts. Be careful when you encounter arguments that support your beliefs, and seek numerous perspectives on every issue. When authors have vested interests in promoting an idea or outcome – a doctor, say, who argues in favor of a self-developed health supplement – subject their claims to even greater scrutiny. Keep digging past the headline, the sound bite, the bestseller list or the article everyone is talking about. A more diverse range of inputs will expand your horizons.

“If you’re surrounded by people who always agree with you, consider it a warning sign.”

The lone genius is a myth; it is hard to think well in isolation. Build a community of people who share your values but tend to think differently. For truth-seekers sharing their views in good faith, disagreement is a boon, not something to fear or avoid.

You can overcome barriers to creativity – just get started.

Anything you do can be art, if you see it that way. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission or a job title; the important thing is to begin. Overcome internal roadblocks to creativity by embracing these principles:

• You don’t know the ripple effects of your efforts – Seemingly small acts can make a big difference.
• There will always be something else to learn – Don’t wait until you know everything. In fact, too much knowledge could impede your ability to imagine alternatives to the status quo.
• You are a poor judge of your own work – You don’t know how others will see your ideas, so don’t self-censor. Don’t compare your “beta version” to someone else’s finished product.
• Criticism is unavoidable – Some people won’t like it when you upend the norm. Just carry on.
• Mistakes are part of the creative process – The only way to avoid mistakes is to stay in your comfort zone. Embrace missteps and learn as you go.
• Self-promotion isn’t selfish – Don’t hide your art from people whom it could help.

When in a rut, turn to play; research shows it can spark creativity. Play lowers the perceived stakes, reducing your fear of failure. It can create mental distance from problems, allowing you to see them more clearly. Even small nudges, like calling your office an “idea lab,” prime you to think unconventionally. Play gives you the flexibility to handle curveballs better when they come your way.

Embrace uncertainty – it’s part of the process.

It can be tempting to try to emulate high-profile individuals. Their stories and advice seem to offer a clear path forward, a way to cut through the barrage of choices you face. Predictions, too, promise certainty in a tumultuous-feeling world. But both the formulas for achievement and predictions of what’s coming are often wrong.

“There is no surefire way to do anything.”

Success stories can mislead for a host of reasons. They confuse correlation and causation, attributing important roles to factors that may not have mattered. Dropping out of college is not a surefire way to succeed in Silicon Valley, for instance. The claim to success can be false; role models might share only a curated, airbrushed facade. Advice based on one person’s experience may not apply to you. Predicting the future is difficult, no matter how great your expertise. Your attempts to choose a surefire, winning strategy are likely in vain; uncertainty is inevitable.

Once you come to terms with this reality, it’s liberating. Worrying about whether the future will wreck your well-laid plans wastes mental energy. When you understand that you are growing and adaptable, plot twists bring excitement.

So don’t assume that there is one correct path for you. Don’t become a hostage to plans you made with incomplete information, be it others’ advice or your forecast. Take responsibility for forging your own path one day at a time, and step into the unknown.

About the Author

Ozan Varol is a former rocket scientist and law professor whose work now focuses on creativity, innovation and critical thinking. He is also the author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist (2020).