How Hard Is It To Be Different?

Every week we talk about being a Differentiator, this idea of being positively set apart from others.

This concept can be a hard thing to judge in your everyday life. How do we know if we are set apart? How are we are able to tell if we standing out from the crowd?

We are able to answer this question by identifying who we are comparing ourself to.

This week we are comparing ourself to the average American.

From the research I have done, (aka googling and clicking on the first creditable link) I have found the average American’s consumer debt, screen time usage, and fitness level.

Like any good statistics, these numbers are eye opening and will help you see how the average American is living.

I have no desire to be just an average American and if you are reading this I hope you don’t either.

Here are the numbers behind what it takes to be above the average American.

Average Consumer Debt

In an article by Debt.org, it states that the average non-mortgage debt for 18-29 year olds is $12,871 and for 30-39 year olds it is $26,532. 

36% of Americans have more credit card debt than savings and only 44% of Americans could afford to pay $1,000 emergency expense from their savings.

The average American is drowning in consumer debt.

Set your finances apart from the average American by establishing a budget and sticking to it. This not only sets yourself up for success but it also sets your Tribe up for success.

Average Screen Time

The next article, says that the average American screen time is 7 hours and 3 minutes. 

Assuming you get 8 hours of sleep, that leaves 16 hours left in a day. That means the average American is spending 40% of their waking hours looking at a screen.

Screen Time can be tricky because we are able to be very productive through our technology. But everyone knows how much time is wasted on their screens.

Take a look at your screen time settings on your phone. Would you be embarrassed to show that to someone? If so, I recommend doing a screen audit and seeing where your screen time should be going.

Average Fitness Level

Only 23% of adults meet the recommended level of physical activity per week. The recommended level of physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

More than 80% of adults don't meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities in America.

To be set apart in America in regards to your fitness, you have to engage in physical activity for more than 2.5 hours in a week.

That looks like going to the gym in the morning, a light jog, or even a walk after dinner.

These are numbers behind the average American but we are not setting out to be average.

We are setting out to be set apart. We are setting ourselves up to make a difference in this world.

These statistics are the minimums. With every degree we go over these numbers the more we differentiate ourselves from the crowd.

Go out and differentiate yourself from the average American.

Go out and make a difference.