Fitting in is second nature to some people. They can slide into any personality and get along with any group of people, however different. It's not as easy for others. There are those that are set in their ways, and cannot conform, even if they try. For these non-conformists, there is hope — and it comes in the form of a "success mindset."

There are many positives to walking the non-conformist path. It can make you more attuned to yourself, more passionate towards your hobbies, more successful and confident, and frankly, quite unforgettable to people. One may naturally wonder, then, why it is that people choose to blend in, especially if there are so many benefits to embracing their uniqueness. The reason may well be because they are too scared to stand out. A success mindset works in the opposite way, however. Those with a winning mindset want to be noticed — think of when you want to apply for your dream job. Would you want to be just another candidate to the panel or actually be remembered for your one-of-a-kind personality?

The first thing one must do in order to truly become a non-conformist is accept their exclusive differences. Everyone is made unique and it is important to take a long, hard look at yourself and figure out what it is about you that you wish to downplay and why. Once you spell it out, it gets easier to accept yourself, even the parts that you wish to camouflage.

Next, it is important to not force yourself to be different — it makes you no better than the poser that is able to slip into other peoples' personalities instantly. Instead, a good first step is undoing the damage that social conditioning has done through your formative years and uncover the real person within. Don't jump on the bandwagon and don't try to force yourself to enjoy something you are not into — the more you naturally zone into your individuality, the more comfortable you will get with yourself.

A good way to go about uncovering one's own personality is to embrace hobbies. It gives wings to your identity and self-expression and helps you make likeminded friends. Being successful in things that you are passionate about can also bring about a boost of confidence and inject happiness in your life.

Oftentimes, people end up internalising a lot of toxic behaviours to fit in with others. This includes becoming accomplice to office politics, or being part of petty gossip. This is known as people pleasing and nothing has the potential to cloud your fresh individuality more than this one act. Power plays and using manipulative information to one's advantage get you nowhere — if anything, they can cost you good friends. Therefore, it is wiser to rise above the pettiness and truly be yourself, regardless of how many people like you. Or not.

Let your uniqueness shine through. Know that you and your identity are important to the world and can bring a lot to the table, but only if they are untarnished and free from others' expectations. Be you, unapologetically, and to the core. You're worth it.