Although introverts are inwardly focused, not enough is discussed on how this inward focus may allow them to achieve more out of life.
More time. More personal and professional achievements. And more success.
These activities go beyond conventional thinking, often attributed to introverts merely being intellectual and contemplative.
Introverts who embrace daily rituals, minimalism, and focused work are doing much more than proclaiming to the world that carelessness, conspicuous consumption, and chaos are unproductive.
Invariably, they are regaling the idea that less is more and structure is everything.
And structure leads to self-fulfillment that can lead to self-actualization.
Psychology expert Elizabeth Hopper outlined eminent psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which popularized the notion that humans have five needs categories: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.
Physiological needs of food, shelter, and sex are the base of our existence, culminating in self-actualization.
Self-actualization is the idea of being all that you are capable of becoming.
In other words, you are utilizing your skills and talents to the fullest.
Many would suggest that Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg self-actualize in contemporary society.
Interestingly enough, these three are the world’s most famous introverts.
And to achieve this level of success requires a specific, goal-oriented lifestyle—an introverted lifestyle.
The American Academy of Advanced Thinking defines an Introverted Lifestyle as “The structure of activities necessary for creating the internal process for fulfilling one’s potential.”
As a caveat, self-actualization has to be viewed in hindsight but lived progressively.
An excellent example of one who seemingly self-actualized was President Ronald Reagan.
Reagan was an actor, California governor, and U.S. president.
Arguably, one could say that he became all that he could be.
But did he feel that way?
Ambitious people don’t stop to explore whether history is being made at that moment.
They merely move forward with the challenges, activities, and opportunities afforded to them in pursuit of an objective.
It is important to underscore this point because self-actualizing within an introverted lifestyle is for one’s psychological and emotional well-being and the productivity that results from intellectual pursuits.
This notion opposes the idea of self-actualization being a mere list of activities one does to achieve the highest form of human potential.
Asian Efficiency, a website focusing on human productivity, outlined the introverted lifestyle that made Albert Einstein a world-renown scientist.
Asian Efficiency pointed out the three keys to Einstein’s productive lifestyle entailed the following:
- A daily ritual and schedule
- A minimalist lifestyle
- A concentrated effort on the most critical aspects of work
Einstein ate, slept, walked/drove, and worked each day.
This Spartan lifestyle left very little room for frivolity and triviality.
In a nutshell, all focus and daily activities should be centered around your body of work.
Preferably solving compelling problems that the world needs and is willing to compensate you for your products or services.
Building a Body of Work
Ultimately, the introverted lifestyle encourages individuals to define their meaning of life through a body of work.
In this regard, strategic thinking introverts coordinate their daily activities into creating a body of work that solves a compelling problem in which they have a profound interest.
The introverted lifestyle content creation cycle comprises Research, Online Tutorials, Fitness, and Content Creation.
Research
According to Professor Larry Stewart, former graduate degree coordinator at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, scholarly research and analysis are geared to filling intellectual gaps and building work on past research.
For Professor Stewart, scholarly work is not a “one-off” process but an endless cycle in pursuit of objective truth.
Consequently, adherents to the introverted lifestyle are dedicated to a daily diet of periodicals, newspapers, trade magazines, and biographies.
Because strategic thinking introverts are hardwired to seek patterns, disparate ideas, and concepts can be corralled into a logical framework.
In this context, the introverted lifestyle is a laboratory for vetting viable research foundational for creating articles and position papers.
Online Tutorials
Aligned with daily research, viewing online tutorials that allow enthusiasts to construct business processes for disseminating and distributing information is essential.
Eminent marketer Seth Godin said that all businesses had become media companies.
In this regard, any entity that promotes products and services must view itself as a media outlet for niche audiences.
Whether it’s social or traditional media, understanding the process and metrics for distributing information in creative ways is essential.
The introverted lifestyle helps participants become “Academic Artists.”
Online tutorials assist in the crafting and mastery of systems for connecting with niche groups.
Fitness
Within this context, fitness entails mental wellness as well as physical well-being.
Reportedly, Microsoft’s Bill Gates gets his most significant inspiration through long walks reminiscent of Albert Einstein.
A daily fitness regimen allows a finely tuned mind and body to operate at optimal capacity.
Proper nutrition centering around a plant-based diet also allows maximum productivity by maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Because the introverted lifestyle is steeped in self-reliance, the engine that makes everything possible must be adequately cared for.
Content Creation
Creating original content through text, visual, or audible media is more accessible when the necessary research has been completed. The world is replete with ill-conceived opinions lacking intellectual rigor.
Scholarly content is problematic because it requires active study and concise language.
Society’s overdependence on memes and initialism that convey abbreviated communication methods does not unpack the complexity of high culture thoughts and ideas.
The content derived from the introverted lifestyle is not geared toward the general population but toward the populace that values education and intellectual prowess.
These individuals create the means of production by which most of the world survives.
Strategic thinking introverts possess the tenacity and ingenuity to tackle the world’s problems.
The introverted lifestyle allows inhabitants to divorce themselves from the mediocrity and anti-intellectualism of the vox populi.
In the end, the introverted lifestyle is the conduit for introverts to self-actualize and paint the world in their self-image.
In a world that has become colder and more chaotic, great minds must save the world from itself.
–Charles Lieberman
Related: The Secrets to Introverts Becoming Thought Leaders
References
3 Lessons from Einstein’s productive life. Asian Efficiency. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3OqYKlF.
Hopper, E. (2020, Feb. 24). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explained. Thoughtco. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2IBqgAo.