Too many people go through life trying to correct their weaknesses. While there are some cases where this is necessary, more often that not, it’s much more useful to spend more time developing your areas of strength.
John Maxwell described it best when he coupled strengths with skill levels. Let’s say your skill level as a writer is a 7 while your skill level as an accountant is a 3. If you divert your attention toward becoming a better accountant, the highest level you’ll reach would probably be a 6 which is mediocre. You wouldn’t get much accomplished.
But if you spent that same time developing your skills as a writer, you could reach the level of 9 or even 10. You could become so outstanding that you could reach national status.
Everyone’s mind is wired differently
Everyone’s mind is wired differently because of heredity and environmental influences. When someone has a higher concentration of connections or synapses in a particular section of their mind than other people, they’re going to be much better at activities that need those connections.
That’s why some people seem to achieve amazing feats with almost no effort. They are prepositioned for that greatness. But they had to make the conscious decision to choose that path instead of something they would have never excelled at.
Questions to help you discover your strengths
Your career path should harmonize with what you do best and what you know best. The following questions will help you decide the direction in life that’s best suited for you:
- What can you do better than anyone else?
- What can you do with greater ease than anyone else?
- What do you know that most people don’t know?
In closing, if you’re not using your most valuable strengths on your current career path, than you need to find a line of work that’s a better fit for you. Successful people go far in life because they do what they do best. And as a result of analyzing and using your strengths, you’ll go farther in life too.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Good post; however, there may be some people who have no idea how to answer those 3 questions! Not everyone is aware of where their strengths/affinities are. Until they could properly answer 1, they couldn’t continue with 2 or 3. Sometimes you have to ask others what your strengths are.
You’re right tho, it’s a lot easier to concentrate on doing what you like than desperately finding ways to avoid doing something you don’t like!
I appreciate your reply, Jabulani. I think it’s an excellent idea to ask other people where our strengths are. I see no reason at all why our closest friends wouldn’t answer that question truthfully for us.
Another way I narrowed down what I was best at was by looking at my old ACT/SAT scores and observing the areas where I made the highest percentages. There’s no doubt that there’s some areas where I can excel at and there’s also some areas that would take way too much time to develop. Than there’s things like personality tests and there are even books that give you access codes to tests that let you find out your top inclinations and strengths.
And your last point about doing what you like rather than doing what you don’t like is also spot on. Chances are, if you do what you love, you’ll have enough motivation to become the best at it.
Interestingly, my school results would not have predicted that which I am now good at, with the exception of, perhaps, languages. I guess since 3 of my 6 final subjects were languages, that’s possibly a trite statement. However, I don’t count English, since it is my mother tongue.
POST schooling, I discovered that I am good at sewing (embroidery, dress-making, etc.) and cooking. These were never subjects at school – well, not ones my father would allow me to take anyway. But since I now live 6000 miles from him, I figure I can do what I choose to do with my life (which basically means stay as far away from Maths as I possibly can!!
Ugh.)
One thing I do know about myself tho, is that I will never be “the best” at anything. I simply don’t have that competitive drive to excel at something. And I have even less desire to acquire it. I’m old enough to know that being content is much more satisfying than racing hell for leather at being the best and perhaps missing the boat, thus leading to dissatisfaction. Being content allows me to attempt new things, because I’m sure in my abilities up to now. Being content means I do stuff I know I can, but every now and then, try something a little more ambitious. Mostly, even if it goes wrong, my friends don’t know it, so they say “Well done” anyhow. I do something none of them can although I keep telling them it’s an easy skill to learn. I am a competent background person, and I delight in that. The spotlight is not for me, although I often find myself put there because others refuse to do a job which needs doing, so yours truly gets on with it.
@Jabulani: I think being content with where you are is perfectly acceptable as long as that is exactly what you want and you are already at a place where you know you’ll be happiest.
It took me a while to realise that here is where I’m happy, but once I’d figured that out, I was cool. From here I look around and see other people who need to come to this same realisation, and just enjoy life.
@Jabulani: I agree wholeheartedly. In order to live life to the fullest, we do have to enjoy it–through helping others or feeling gratitude for the moments that brought us the most happiness. I do appreciate your comments, I look forward to more of your ideas.