Focusing​ ​On​ ​Your​ ​Strengths​ ​to​ ​Succeed

Often​ ​in​ ​our​ ​work​ ​and​ ​personal​ ​lives,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​tempted​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​upon​ ​our​ ​weaknesses.​ ​Why wouldn’t​ ​we?​ ​When​ ​we​ ​don’t​ ​reach​ ​a​ ​goal,​ ​it​ ​usually​ ​feels​ ​like​ ​our​ ​weaker​ ​skills​ ​are​ ​to​ ​blame. Still,​ ​while​ ​improving​ ​on​ ​your​ ​weaknesses​ ​will​ ​always​ ​yield​ ​positive​ ​results,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​reach​ ​your goals​ ​more​ ​quickly​ ​and​ ​efficiently​ ​by​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​improving​ ​your​ ​strengths.

The​ ​best​ ​way​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​to​ ​succeed​ ​is​ ​to​ ​narrow​ ​them​ ​down​ ​to​ ​your top​ ​three.​ ​One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reasons​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​all​ ​of​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​and​ ​weaknesses​ ​will​ ​hinder your​ ​success​ ​is​ ​simply​ ​because​ ​we​ ​are​ ​not​ ​wired​ ​for​ ​multi-tasking.​ ​It​ ​may​ ​​feel as​ ​though​ ​you​ ​can effectively​ ​rotate​ ​focus​ ​throughout​ ​tasks,​ ​but​ ​research​ ​over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​decade​ ​has​ ​proven​ ​that this​ ​seriously​ ​hinders​ ​productivity.​ ​The​ ​same​ ​principle​ ​applies​ ​to​ ​the​ ​development​ ​of​ ​your strengths​ ​and​ ​weaknesses.​ ​Trying​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​both​ ​will​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​neither​ ​develop​ ​as efficiently​ ​as​ ​possible.​ ​Recognizing​ ​your​ ​top​ ​two​ ​to​ ​three​ ​strengths​ ​will​ ​hone​ ​your​ ​focus​ ​even more​ ​so,​ ​and​ ​help​ ​you​ ​reach​ ​your​ ​goals​ ​that​ ​much​ ​quicker.

Once​ ​you​ ​identify​ ​your​ ​strengths,​ ​put​ ​yourself​ ​in​ ​a​ ​position​ ​where​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have​ ​the​ ​opportunity to​ ​improve​ ​upon​ ​them.​ ​If​ ​one​ ​of​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​is​ ​interpersonal​ ​communication,​ ​but​ ​your current​ ​projects​ ​involve​ ​more​ ​writing,​ ​seek​ ​out​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​of​ ​changing​ ​roles​ ​within​ ​the project.​ ​When​ ​your​ ​objectives​ ​involve​ ​your​ ​stronger​ ​skills,​ ​you’ll​ ​feel​ ​more​ ​satisfied,​ ​creative, and​ ​confident​ ​about​ ​your​ ​performance​ ​overall.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​result,​ ​the​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​your​ ​work​ ​will​ ​also improve.​ ​Focusing​ ​on​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​benefits​ ​not​ ​only​ ​yourself,​ ​but​ ​those​ ​around​ ​you​ ​as​ ​well.

The​ ​next​ ​important​ ​question​ ​is,​ ​how​ ​do​ ​you​ ​determine​ ​what​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​are?​ ​One​ ​of​ ​the best​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​what​ ​you​ ​excel​ ​at​ ​is​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​self-reflection.​ ​Next​ ​time​ ​you​ ​perform​ ​a task,​ ​think​ ​about​ ​how​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​you​ ​feel.​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​perform​ ​the​ ​activity?​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​​great at​ ​it,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​good?​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​find​ ​it​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​concentrate​ ​on​ ​the​ ​activity?​ ​Once​ ​you​ ​recognize which​ ​tasks​ ​meet​ ​these​ ​criteria,​ ​the​ ​next​ ​step​ ​is​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​why.​ ​Which​ ​of​ ​your​ ​skills​ ​make these​ ​tasks​ ​easier​ ​and​ ​more​ ​enjoyable?​ ​In​ ​addition,​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​what​ ​your​ ​weaknesses are​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process.​ ​Once​ ​you​ ​know​ ​what​ ​they​ ​are,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​outsource​ ​tasks​ ​that​ ​require​ ​your weaker​ ​skills​ ​to​ ​someone​ ​who​ ​performs​ ​them​ ​well.

It​ ​may​ ​feel​ ​uncomfortable​ ​at​ ​first​ ​to​ ​effectively​ ​ignore​ ​your​ ​weaknesses​ ​in​ ​favor​ ​of​ ​developing your​ ​strengths,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​will​ ​quickly​ ​find​ ​out​ ​why​ ​this​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​far​ ​more​ ​effective.​ ​Success comes​ ​easier​ ​for​ ​yourself​ ​and​ ​everyone​ ​you’re​ ​working​ ​with​ ​when​ ​you​ ​do​ ​your​ ​best​ ​to determine​ ​your​ ​strengths​ ​and​ ​maximize​ ​their​ ​potential.