I once participated in a very eye opening exercise. I was asked to make two columns, and write down 6 of my greatest personal strengths, and 6 of my biggest weaknesses. Then I was asked to pick 5 characteristics that I would most like to see change over the next year.
I went straight to the weakness column, I didn’t think twice about it. Until afterwards, when I started to wonder, why didn’t I focus on further improving my strengths? The answer: I am so used to trying to improve and overcome my weaknesses, that I didn’t think about the benefits of focusing on my strengths.
If you are anything like me, you spend lots of time and energy trying to improve your perceived weaknesses. Maybe you read books, take courses, hire coaches and tutors. You struggle and wrestle with these weaknesses. The question is, how far do you get? If you had written this list every year for the past 5 years, would the weakness list have stayed the same? I know mine would.
I consider organization, or lack thereof, to be one of my weaknesses. If you could see my desk, you would completely agree. Over the years, I have purchased books about getting organized and taken courses. I have implemented various systems and used tools. But the fact remains, organization has not moved off of my weakness list.
My lack of organization and my inability to significantly improve it used to frustrate the heck out of me. When I focused on it, it was hard for me to move forward and get things done. I doubted my ability to be successful, because I couldn’t even organize my desk.
And then I decided to accept that organization does not come naturally or easily to me, and it never will. I hired a professional organizer, got rid of the debilitating clutter, and put a few systems in place. The piles and the clutter still come back from time to time, but I no longer worry about it, or tell myself over and over again that “I have to get organized.” I know that someone who is much better at it than I am can help me, and that thought is very freeing! It also frees my mind up to be productive and innovative.
The effects of focusing on building on your strengths, instead of improving your weaknesses, can be extremely powerful. The power comes from the type of energy created when you focus on your strengths, vs. the energy that occurs when you focus on your weaknesses.
When you put your attention to something that you think you’re not good at, how do you feel? If you struggle to improve it, or worse, continually think about improving but don’t do anything about it, what does your energy level feel like? Even if you do make some improvements, how significant are they?
The energy created by frustration, self doubt and anxiety will cloud your mind. You don’t perform at your true potential, because your brain is cluttered by negative thoughts and feelings. It’s hard to be creative and productive when you feel this way.
On the other hand, how do you feel when you focus on what you’re good at? If you want to perform at a high level, try identifying your strengths, and set a goal to get even better at them. The energy created by the feelings of competence and success that you experience will propel you forward, to greater and greater achievement. You will feel like you are at the top of your game, and you will be. You will make significant progress, and you will stand out in your industry and your life as extraordinary at what you do. Picture that, and tell me how you feel!
I so love this, Donna.
I remember hearing Brian Tracy say something along these lines years ago and it’s always stuck with me. We are so focused on continual improvement…but to your point, why not improve on what you’re already gifted at?
Thanks for the great post!
You’re welcome! And I hope you feel the positive energy created when you do focus on your gifts!
You’ve got a really good point, Donna. I’m currently in the process of making some changes in my business. And, I continue to use all my energy on all the wrong places — my weaknesses.
However, starting right now, I’m going to use my strengths. I totally agree with your point of view.
Oh, boy…I’m going to be dangerous.
I love the idea of you building on your strengths and being dangerous! Look out world……!
DUH! Makes total sense, doesn’t it? It’s natural human instinct to focus on the weaknesses when we should be focusing on how to leverage our strengths. I like to look at it as “picking my battles”…which one is the most important to prioritize-which is going to get me the most mileage? Thanks, Donna! Here’s to focusing on the positive!
Thanks for the comment, Ellen. I like your point about getting the most mileage. And it’s so true. If you’re going to put your time and effort into something, why not put it into something that will get you the best results!
Donna
Fabulous reminder from the business perspective that focusing on something negative brings about more obstacles. The saying of when someone is pointing their finger you don’t look at the finger you look at where it’s being pointed. It’s all about enhancing our strengths as those will overcome any weakness.
Thanks for a good reminder.
Loved your post, Donna! I related it back to my marketing director days. I worked for a dance company. I was constantly encourage to “push” and advertise the performances that weren’t selling well to get people in the seats. We didn’t worry so much about the performances that were selling well. Then, we hired a consultant to work with us on building on our audience and he completely shifted our perspective. We started “selling” and advertising and promoting the performances that were already selling well and accepting that the performances that weren’t selling well were not selling well (for many different reasons). [we also introduced demand-based pricing] The company grossed $1,000,000 over budget by focusing on strengths and accepting weaknesses.
Jodi, thank you so much for that wonderful example! Such great motivation for the rest of us to do the same!
When we run our own companies we wear so many different hats and we do have our strengths and weaknesses. What’s important as you say, is to focus more on those strengths because that is what draws new clients. A few years back I did make lists about my own business, what I really loved doing vs what I didn’t really want to do anymore and outsource. It’s amazing once you know what you want and fine tune, how wonderful it can be. The next set of lists? Financial management planning and that’s going to be an interesting ride.
You are so right, Donna. Too often we focus too much energy on shoring up our weaknesses, rather than further building our strengths. And yet, if we invested more time in improving our strengths, imagine how much farther ahead we’d be! Excellent post.
I so agree! Focus on your strengths. Get even better at what you’re good at. I think we’d all be more productive and happier if we accepted that there are some things we’ll never be good at. For me, it’s paying close attention to little details. I either soldier through and then reward myself or find someone else to handle tasks like collating or organizing details. It leaves me time and energy for the big-picture stuff I love.
One of my favorite books is, How to Stop Improving Yourself and Start Living. I too am a striver and an overcomer, and treating myself as a project has become a habit. But I agree a different, kinder, more sensible approach would be, my my business coach Melody Stevens says, to step into my strengths.
I belong to a peer support group that talks a lot about character defects. I’ve learned that my defects all have a plus side to them–I’m disorganized but great at spontaneity, for example. So, yes, focus on strengths. But maybe rethink those weaknesses as well, not as projects but as information that might be interpreted differently, and see what’s on the other side.
I agree with you 100%! My philosophy of career development and business development is completely aligned – build your career or business on your Brilliance, and outsource all the rest. Brilliance-Based Businesses are the wave of the future (see http://www.nfib.com/Portals/0/PDF/AllUsers/research/studies/nfib-chase-wob-study-2012.pdf), and I’m convinced that those of us committed to growing them will find joy, ease, and prosperity ahead.
I’m big into self-improvement and this is such an important point, build on your strengths.
I’m excited to do this exercise and see what I focus on more. I’ve gotta feeling it’s my weaknesses.
But that’s about to change. : ) Thanks for this very enlightening post!