No man or woman will find the best way to do a thing unless he or she loves to do that thing.
Japanese proverb
Strengths, correctly identified, reveal a person’s capacity. And putting your strengths to work having been identified won’t be a guarantee of success. Yet, even without this guarantee, it is still great advice to identify your strengths and tailor your work to these.
A person will excel only by amplifying strengths, never by simply fixing weaknesses. Get your strengths together and make your weaknesses irrelevant. Your strengths are your greatest asset. Each and every person is at their most creative and shows their best judgement precisely in their areas of greatest strength.
It is also known that, while you continue to learn throughout adulthood, you will learn the most in those areas where you already know most, where your synaptic branches are already thick and strong. On the emotional side of things, you know you will be more resilient, persistent, self-confident and effective in areas where you have developed some mastery. You will only be able to transfer these powerful feelings to new challenges if these new challenges are substantially similar to your existing areas of mastery.
What activity (or activities) do people say just seem to come so naturally to you – it’s like you’re not trying when you do it?
- That you really seem to enjoy doing it?
- That it holds your attention or that of others if they are involved?
- The activity that people are always volunteering you for
Having answered the above, what would you honestly say are your strengths? If you are struggling with this exercise, think of the leaders you chose, for it may be the very things they are strong at that you are strong at, too.
Over the coming days and weeks, when doing certain activities, look to see if they meet the above criteria. When you identify one that does, you can be pretty sure you’re looking at one of your strengths.
If you want to bring about and/or build on success and happiness, most of your learning should be targeted towards those areas where you have already achieved some level of mastery. If you have a natural ability to solve problems or to build relationships or to compete or to anticipate the needs of others, you will get the most bang from your learning buck from stretching, refining and focusing on these abilities.
Self-leaders make sure their words match where they are heading. If your words, actions and intentions match, it all works out without fail. Highly accomplished people use language in an instinctive or intuitive way, always focusing on what they are trying to accomplish. They are confident when they commit to progress with a strong narrative and matching deeds. They chip away and eventually overwhelm toxic thoughts and feelings and when you do, anything is possible.
If you want to follow up on what I have written here and live a life of true and real success for you, please check out my books—available from Amazon.