Welcome to the most practical guide on how to be more interesting!
We all know that one person everyone likes to be around. They are passionate, they always have some fresh ideas or new hobbies you never heard of before.
Is it possible to become that person?
Absolutely!
It will not be easy but remember – becoming more interesting is the process that you can learn step-by-step.
When you find out what makes you different, unique, you will realize what you can improve to take the place that you want.
Now, let’s move on to the 7 steps you can implement right away!
Step #1 – Find out what is exciting for you and make a list.
We all have different interests, and the first step is finding out what is exciting for you. We suggest making a table where you can list all the things/hobbies/activities you find interesting.
When you have the complete list, prioritize the actions with numbers.
What is the topic you can talk about all day?
Number one will be the most interesting thing for you, number two something different and so on.
By defining what exciting means for you, you are one step ahead to become more interesting to be around.
Step #2 – Stay informed and read a lot.
Bill Gates reads every day and manages to read 50 books per year. To be more interesting and innovative, you need to make sure that your brain is filled with new topics, ideas, and subjects. Bill has 5 rules for reading that can help you too:
- Taking notes is important. Taking notes will help you remember more about a certain topic. We suggest buying paper books and one notebook where you can list all the important details.
- Finish what you have started. If you skip the parts, there is always space for misunderstanding and missing information that will be interesting and useful.
- Take one hour for the reading every day. Challenge yourself by reading for at least one hour per day. You will be more into the topic by taking time to understand the concepts.
- Find a convenient place. Enjoy reading and learning new things in a cozy, relaxed area. It will be more comfortable, and you can truly enjoy your safe space.
- Dig deeper. Take time to learn the basics. When the ground is set, you can dig deeper and discover all the important details about the author, theme, etc.
Step #3 – Surround yourself with interesting people.
You must have heard that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Try to surround yourself with people you find inspiring and exciting.
You must think – it’s easy for you to say, where do I find them?
And we completely understand, it’s not simple, but here are a few tips to find an interesting social circle:
- join a school/club/organization that you find exciting.
- try a group sport or activity.
- find an online place (subreddits, Facebook groups, etc.) to meet people with similar interests.
Step #4 – Help others be interesting.
It’s not up to you to animate people. You can become interesting by simply letting another person to be interesting.
You just have to learn how to engage with others even if you don’t know anything about that topic.
Don’t draw back immediately. Believing in the process is an important skill to learn when it comes to being more interesting.
Here is what you could do in situations like this – ask interesting and honest questions.
People love to talk about things they are passionate about, and they will be more than happy to give you bonus information.
This will, for sure, open up a conversation, and questions will just keep coming.
We got you covered in-depth for this too, you are more than welcome to check and learn how to keep a conversation going.
Ask everything related specifically to that person, their opinions, wants, how they look on certain things. Ask meaningful things that will help you bond on a deeper level like:
- Is there a book/movie that changed the course of your life?
- If you can give one piece of advice to someone younger than you, what would it be?
- What is the kindest thing someone did to you?
- Is there a stranger that changed your life?
- What is the weirdest place you have ever visited?
They will enjoy the conversation, they will remember you for a long time, and they will want to talk with you again – because you were interesting to them.
Step #5 – Tell an interesting story.
Storytelling is one of the main areas you need to master to become a more interesting person. An interesting and relatable story is a great way to connect with others.
When you have an entertaining story, be sure that it is related to what the other person/people from the group are talking about. If you want to keep the conversation and maintain that good atmosphere, it is better to tell a story that others can relate to.
Moreover, focus on the emotional context – talk about what made you happy, scared, angry, surprised, or sad. Don’t overfill your story with details – it could make your audience bored.
In the end, feel free to add an open question, ask others what they think about that, what they would do in that situation, did something similar happen to them.
One more tip: Mind your body language.
Non-verbal communication is as much important as verbal. Researches say that during the conversation, 75% of our focus goes on body language.
Your body language, tone of voice, and your posture say how you feel – confident or insecure, happy for being where you are, nervous or relaxed.
If you send the signal that you are having fun, you will make people think it is fun to be around you.
Just think about all that great motivational speakers. They mastered the body of language, which is one of the main reasons you keep coming back to them and maybe why you believe what they say.
Step #6 – Try something new.
Trying new things could be a great way of expanding your field of interest and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Being open to trying new things will also help you become more fearless, leave the daily rut and bring some excitement into your life.
You can learn a new language or a hobby you always wanted but never found time to try. Also, a good option could be volunteering at an organization, sports event, etc.
Through all of these activities, you will meet new people and gather a lot of experience that will make you more interesting.
Step #7 – Let go of the fear.
The brake number one which restrains you from being interesting is fear.
In plenty of situations, you had a chance to propose a new idea, to step ahead, to change something, but you stayed quiet.
That doesn’t shut you down only for sharing different ideas; it also prevents you from experiencing new interesting things.
Don’t worry, it happened to most of us at one point. But why?
It happens because we are worried about what other people will think about us. To overcome this obstacle, we need to learn how to create a new mindset. Here is a great article on ways to stop worrying about what other people think.
That’s one of the fundamental things you have to stop doing if you want to get out of your comfort zone and become more interesting. People love to meet different people, they love to hear exciting stories. When you learn how to free yourself, you will become unstoppable.
Bonus Tip
Show others your charismatic side.
It will be a lot easier for you to be more interesting if you are relaxed and easy-going.
If you want to make others feel comfortable with you, you must be comfortable with yourself first.
If you feel nervous, keep in mind that people don’t look at your every move and every detail you see.
They are just like you, more focused on themselves.
Smile whenever you can, reward others when they say something funny, give compliments, talk about the good in someone or something – the more people feel good about themselves around you, they will see you as more interesting.
Your turn
As you could see, being interesting is a bit difficult. It takes a lot of hard work, consistency, and energy.
On the other hand, it’s not unachievable. Once you start trying some of these steps and applying at least one of the tips, you will notice the difference.
What will you try first?
Tell us in the comments down below.
