How Geniuses Live Their Lives Every Day

People often think of geniuses as unique thinkers that stand out from the crowd. Displaying exceptional
intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, they are known to lead movements or discoveries. As a
society molded upon the work of geniuses such as Einstein, Jobs, Plato, and Freud, we gain inspiration
from them to achieve our own creative feats. Although studies prove that geniuses and gifted people
display some similar traits and have high IQs, what we forget is how much focus and hard work they put
into delivering their achievements—which is something we can all choose to do!

In my early elementary school days, I was a few years ahead of my peers in Math and English and had
difficulty relating to them. I therefore spent a lot of time in solitude and taught myself how to read music
and play the piano. Although the academic side came naturally to me, I put in a lot of work to developing
my creative talents. Although some child prodigies who master chess, math, or musical instruments at a
young age do exist, studies show that not all geniuses are born that way. Einstein was slow to speak as a
child and Steve Jobs dropped out of college.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Alfred Barrious, who studied geniuses such as Edison, Socrates, Da Vinci, and
Shakespeare, discovered that all had 24 personality characteristics in common—which all of us can
develop at any time. Here are some everyday genius traits and habits you can master to maximize your
creative abilities and live an exceptional life.

They are independent thinkers.

Geniuses don’t see the world through the same lens as the rest of society.
They are not always accepting of the way things are. They question rules
and challenge authority in order to explore all sides of a situation. It was
only in challenging one of Newton’s theories that Einstein stumbled upon
the theory of relativity.

By looking beyond the status quo, you can discover and create beyond your wildest imagination. By acting
like the rest of society, you won’t succeed or innovate past society. To achieve big, you need to think big.
If greatness doesn’t already exist in an area you’re passionate about, discover it!

Steve Jobs said he never performed market research before launching the Macintosh because the public
had no idea what it wanted. Now, Apple is one of the most valuable companies on the planet. Innovation
requires combining problem solving with logic and creativity. When you are presented with a so-called
fact, start asking why and see if you can pull apart the reasoning.

They take risks!

 Vast success and growth comes from taking risks, whereas staying in your
comfort zone causes you to stay stagnant. No great success or innovation
came from not taking action or a risk to create something, go somewhere,
or speak up. If Christopher Columbus didn’t take the risk to navigate
across the Atlantic Ocean, he never would have began the colonization of
the Americas.

Hone in on your values and passions to determine what is worth taking a risk for. Then use logic, reason,
and creativity to evaluate the level of risk and determine how to proceed. Part of being an independent
thinker and taking risks requires you to speak up for what you truly believe in, even if it may cause some
friction. The Greek philosopher Aristotle argued in his writings that the Earth was spherical, because of
the circular shadow it cast on the Moon during a lunar eclipse, even when everyone believed the earth
was flat.

They set high standards for themselves.

Successful people and geniuses don’t believe in

just trying their best, they set deliberate goals and are
determined to achieve their best, then continue to go beyond
that. Average results are not acceptable! This mindset has led
to some of the greatest discoveries in history, such as Isaac
Newtown’s law of gravity and Alexander Bell’s invention of the telephone.

Mimicking what others around you do does not lead to innovation. Pave your own path by deciding that
average is not an option. Come up with a realistic plan to achieve your exceptional goals. Combining your
passions with your talents, then deciding what areas you want to excel in, enables you to achieve
whatever you set your mind to.

When I first started competing in triathlons, I had a few months to train for my first Olympic-distance
race. Although everyone around me said the average person does it in around 3 hours, I knew I excelled
at the sport and decided I didn’t want to be average. So I calculated my pace in each leg and came up with
realistic training goals to achieve a time that was appropriate and challenging for me. When race day
came, I achieved my above-average time goal. By setting high standards for yourself in different areas of
your life, you really can achieve excellence and lead a life you are proud of.
They strive for perfection.

Geniuses create their own definition of perfection and don’t accept

anything less than that. They take society’s definition of perfect to the
next level by adding their own creative stamp to it. When others stop and
are satisfied enough with what they have created, a genius will continue
on to the next level. This leads to innovation and advancements beyond
what has previously been achieved. When Jobs was first working on the iPod, his idea of perfection was
that that it would only take three clicks to get to any song in the iPod library. He told his engineering team,
“Don’t show it to me until you can get it in three clicks.”

Create your own definition of perfection and strive to achieve it, even if the solution is not apparent in the
beginning. Perfectionism is constantly evolving. Master an area in your life that is important to you and
continue to grow and create updated versions of perfection.

They inspire others to also reach their greatness.

Geniuses often have teams around them to support them when achieving
their feats and discoveries. Their team members believe in their vision
and are inspired to bring out their own greatness to support this mission.

Job’s didn’t build all of Apple’s products alone—he had engineering and
product teams that believed in and supported his vision. When employees or colleagues claimed that a
task was impossible, Jobs would just stare at them and say, “Don’t be afraid. You can do it.”

The best way to teach and inspire others is by your behavior and achievements. Going after what is
important to you in your life in a consistent and determined way will encourage your peers around you to
do the same. Focus on reaching your greatness by directing dynamic energy and optimism towards your
goals. Then, get others to believe in your vision and achieve their own greatness by communicating your
ideas to them in a persuasive way.

They foster focus and drive.

Geniuses focus on one problem at a time without many distractions. Goal-

driven individuals know the more intensely you concentrate your
thoughts and attention and are emotionally involved with a problem or
goal, the more likely it is that your mind will respond with the kind of
creative ideas that you need.

To successfully foster focus, a lot of geniuses choose to spend more time in solitude than the average
person. A study lead by PhD candidate Darya Zabelina showed that people who were less able to ignore
distractions and had to spend more time in solitude were more likely to do great creative work. Sensitivity
to noise and stimuli, so the argument goes, drives creative achievement. So don’t ignore the urge to spend
time working in solitude to achieve your goals.

With their fast-thinking minds, curiosity, and desire to know, most geniuses have a lot of energy and drive.
They dedicate this energy towards the projects they are passionate about achieving success in.

You are born with your own unique set of gifts and talents. You are also born with a certain amount of
energy. By combining your gifts with your passions and focusing your drive and energy in this area, you
can achieve phenomenal results. Try it!

They are persistent.

Geniuses and successful people don’t believe in the word impossible or that something can’t be done. In
fact, they come up with creative ways to prove naysayers wrong. If you can dream it, you can create it. This
attitude leaves no room for limitations, fear, or accepting failure. A lot of great success stories began with
many failures. Henry Ford’s first two car businesses folded before he achieved success with the Ford
Motor Company. Geniuses look at failures as ways to grow, learn, and move forward.

By continuing to work towards what you believe in and want to achieve, even if you have to pick yourself
back up after falling, is what will lead to long-term success. To keep up the momentum, stay devoted to
your goals and take control of your life and schedule. Start by planning something specific to accomplish
each day. Remember a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.