Today, we’re bringing our identity capital to the next level! Essentially, identity capital refers to a collection our life experiences that contribute to who we are. These experiences all make our life stories that much more interesting, while also making our skillsets / knowledge bases that much more multi-faceted. If that sounds appealing to you, look no further than this post for ways to boost yours!
1- Say yes to more opportunities.
Disclaimer: Of course, if something sounds downright unappealing to you for any reason, or your gut is telling you no, this advice does NOT apply to that situation. However, if it’s just not necessarily an opportunity you’d seek out yourself, but when presented to you, you sense it could be valuable to you, go for it! Examples of this could include a job interview for a job that’s outside your usual box or a party hosted by a friend of a friend. In other words, they don’t need to be huge life-changing experiences.
Regardless of the experience, you won’t know if it’s life-changing until you actually have it. At the least, though, you’ll probably take something away from it. Maybe it’s the funny story that never ceases to make you (or the people you tell it to) laugh. Maybe it’s a new connection with someone that will enhance your life in some way. Or maybe it’s just a lesson, whether big or small, that you’ll apply to future experiences. No matter what, the more open you are, the more possibilities you’ll attract!
2- Meet and connect with new people.
So much of a person’s life story is composed of the people they meet and connect with along the way. Some are for a season, and others are for a lifetime, but I believe they’re ALL for a reason. Similarly to #1, of course, your efforts to connect with others should be reserved for those who you sense could be good for you. You probably won’t know for sure until you get to know them well, but listen to your instincts. Whether someone goes the distance in your life or not, though, they’ll likely provide you with something valuable. Again, it could be funny stories that never get old, lessons you didn’t know you needed, connection at a time you felt isolated, or anything in between.
3- Learn new things about various subjects.
The knowledge you attain throughout your life adds to your identity capital as well. You never know what random but relevant fact you can contribute to your next dinnertime conversation. In a more significant example, you never know if your credentials in one area could make you more appealing to an employer for a job in a completely different area! (This actually happened to me not too long ago! My experience creating this very blog helped land me my first paralegal job/internship!)
Well-rounded people offer a wide array of insight, skills, and perspectives to everything they do. They look at things from more than one angle and bring unexpected combinations of assets to the table. There are countless ways to embody this persona, and they aren’t limited to investing lots of time and money into school. You can take free (or low-cost) online courses, research, network, follow educational accounts on social media, etc. It doesn’t take a lot, but it can make a big difference!
4- Go to new places near and far.
If traveling can’t take priority right now (whether for financial, scheduling, or other reasons), you can still explore new places locally. Trying a new restaurant in your area may not add to your identity capital *as* much as taking a 3-week vacation to Europe (lol). However, it’s certainly better than nothing! Any new place you visit expands your world, even if just for the moment. If all it adds to your life story is a new variation of your favorite dish, that’s still a small win!
5- Reinvent yourself and your life when you feel compelled to.
This doesn’t mean changing the core, important parts of who you are. It just means giving yourself a refresh when desired. Some examples include revamping your wardrobe to better align with your style evolution, taking on a new hobby, taking your career in a new direction, etc. What this does is it gives your life more layers and splits it into distinct eras. Talk about a more dynamic life story to tell!
The bottom line…
Boosting your identity capital isn’t for the sake of making your life story appear more interesting from an outsider’s perspective. It’s for the purpose of making your life story feel richer and more interesting to yourself. Ultimately, that’s the perspective that matters most. The common theme among the tips above is to live life to its fullest. So, get out there and LIVE!