Focus On Your Strengths

June 29, 2017

Every one of us has a unique gift.  It’s the thing that comes most naturally to us.

Some of us are more visionary than methodical.  Some people are more creative than others and can always be relied upon to come up with an innovate solution to a problem.  Others are better at executing the solution.

These individuals make great project managers.  They can always get things done within the shortest time frame and, most times under budget.  The key is to focus on your strengths—whatever they may be.

One of my friends dreamed of becoming an accountant.  She loved the prestige and credibility of the profession.  It also was around the time when if a person worked for then a Big “8” accounting firm, they were considered a part of the crème de la crème.   I remember helping her with some accounting homework, and it was evident to me that this was not a natural skill.  Heck—accounting wasn’t even my major, and I received better grades. One day I asked her if she considered pursuing a different degree, and she quickly told me that her dream was to be an accountant.  She struggled through her college accounting courses and finally graduated with an accounting degree after six years. After graduation, she worked in some small accounting firms, temp agencies, and payroll departments, but never grew in this field. The truth is her real strengths lied in working with people, not numbers.   When she finally landed a job as a social worker at one of the local nonprofits, she quickly rose to a leadership position.  If only she had recognized her strengths early on.

My niece is another example of someone who eventually had to understand her strengths.  High school was always easy for her, no matter what courses.  She didn’t have to work hard to ace her classes.  After high school, she confidently went off to college with a pipe dream of becoming a big time doctor. After all, the title was sexy, and she would be the first in the family with this prestigious degree.  There was also the excitement of hearing her parents brag about the fact that their daughter was majoring in premed.  After her first year of getting just average grades, she and I had a heart-to-heart conversation.  She indicated that she hated her science and math classes, and wasn’t sure she wanted to major in pre-med anymore.  It was too hard.  However, she also said she didn’t want to disappoint her family and friends who were all so very proud of her.  “Is this your dream or someone else’s?” I asked.

At that moment she realized that it was okay to change her major and pursue her dreams.  She switched her major and received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication.  She eventually sought a position as a regional marketing manager at a Professional Services consulting firm where she had a solid career.

Are you focusing on your strengths?  What natural talents are you honing?

Over the years, I’ve learned that a confident person doesn’t concentrate or focus on their weaknesses – they maximize their strengths.

Joyce Meyer