Ever have those rare moments of peace and clarity when all the anxiety and self-doubts subside? For a few blissful moments, the chaos evaporates. There’s an unburdening. You know exactly what you want to do. You know your path… the change you want to make in this world.

The villain you fight. 

Your Big Idea.

Your Point of View.

It’s all clear to you now. 

The moment is special and goosebumps-inducing. 

Like when Neo realizes that he is The One.

Or when Po, the Kung Fu Panda, finally accepts himself.

I get these moments, too. But the problem? After some time, the anxious, critical mind jumps in.

“This POV is not original.”, it says. “There are a few people out there who have the same idea bruh!”

The POV feels right

At least, a part of you believes that. It aligns with who you are and your values. But on the other hand, it’s not original. And there is no doubt that you want your POV to be unique. You ain’t no copycat, no sir. 

So what do you do? 

The critical mind has a point

And yet, it’s better not to take it seriously. Yes, the voice that says that POV is not original is logical, rational, smart, and yet unhelpful. The first iteration of the POV is not going to be original. You are probably going to struggle to articulate it. 

Yes, the POV is not succinct. The articulation needs some work. But the direction isn’t wrong. You have still made progress.

It’s like peeling an onion. The first layer? Nothing special. Not original. But each peel gets you closer to the core… the crisp, refined expression of your POV.

‘Stopping’ is the only mistake

A Tech Expert I know is frustrated because no matter how hard he tries, he fails to settle down on a Point of View. Round and round he goes… trying on different POVs for size, doubting all of them as none sound genuinely original. And he ends up with no POV. 

The last time I spoke to him, he was ready to quit. But that’s a mistake. The onion is being peeled. There’s still progress, even though he doesn’t see it.

Jay Acunzo’s evolving POV

Jay Acunzo is a marketer with a clearly articulated POV – Stop obsessing about Reach. Focus on Resonance. 

But did he start with this? Of course not. This is what his website looked like in 2016 – 

His current website? A much better, articulate premise –

So what happened in between? Jay kept peeling the onion. Gradually, he became better at articulating his premise. 

So, how exactly will you peel the onion?

A tentative process might look like this – 

– Start with a messy articulation of your POV. Something that feels right internally. 

– Chances are that this POV is not original

– It’s okay. Don’t get disheartened

– Keep digging and continue working.

– Ship more content

– Help clients with the change you have articulated

– Eventually, a crisp, well-articulated POV will emerge

That perfect LinkedIn headline you are craving for? The ideal website banner? That’ll have to wait. Or maybe it will never really be perfect.