9 Ways to Discover Your Strengths

One of the questions asked during the Stop Dreaming & Start Doing webinar was, “How can I identify my strengths?”

It’s easy to get caught up in the roles or titles you think you should go after, or you pursue what others expect of you, at the expense of living your dreams Eventually, it catches up with you and leaves you feeling empty and spent.

You can change that starting right now by making a conscious decision to Live Your Dream, starting now. To do that, you’ll want to understand your strengths. While it may take a while to fully uncover them, there’s nothing like the present to get started. You can’t start yesterday.

9 Ways to Discover your Strengths

1. Pay attention to what excites you. What do you enjoy doing? When do you feel the most energized? Look for what these times have in common, what activities you’re engaged in, the interests of people you’re with and the skills you’re using. These are the times you are using your strengths; the times you’re feeding your spirit.

2. Think outside the box. Think beyond titles and roles, whether they’re at work or home. Instead, identify the activity which gives you pleasure.

3. Look around you at the things that make you feel good–photographs, certificates, and successes. While it’s not the things themselves that are your strengths, they represent experiences you’ve been recognized for. What’s the common denominator?

4. Recall what comes easy to you. What do you consistently excel in? What do you learn easily? What do you feel compelled to do? It will be based on a desire to express your strengths.

5. Think about what you’re doing when time flies. When you’re energized and lost in the moment, you’re using your strengths. When do those times happen, where are you and who are you with?

6. Articulate your unique value-proposition. You have a combination of gifts with which to serve your purpose that no one else has. What are they? Journaling can help them come to the surface for you.

7. Notice what you do differently than everyone else. In a situation where you are truly using your strengths, you will stand out from a crowd. Your approach will be unique. Pay attention to those time and articulate what you’re doing differently.

8. Pay attention to compliments. Often others recognize your strengths before you are aware of them yourselves. When you’re consistently receiving the same feedback, take note. There’s a good reason for that.

9. Ride your own ride. A term borrowed from motorcycling, it means follow your own compass; your own inner guide. It’s fine to learn from others but emulating someone else’s success may not come naturally to you. Build on your own strengths. That’s how you’ll be the best you can be.

Discover your strengths and focus on leveraging them. Put them to work. It’s much more effective than trying to improve on your shadows. Bringing your strengths all together creates synergy and increases the awareness of your personal power. It opens up all kinds of possibilities you hadn’t considered, and creates the most direct path to personal fulfillment.

photo credit: Jose Luis Mieza Photography via photopin cc