Part 2 of Series on Moving Forward
Last week, I wrote about choosing to focus on what is important to you. If you haven’t read the post, Stop Keeping Up With The Jones, I suggest you read it now.
Knowing Your Weaknesses
Can you think of a time when you’ve been so engaged in something that just felt so right that the time simply flew? It felt easy. It felt fun. I bet you were working with your strengths.
Alternatively, have you ever done work that felt so arduous that you thought your head was going to explode and you wanted to escape through the floor? Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Maybe, instead, you just tried to ignore the work, hoping it would go away. Did it?
I have lots of ideas, which is not a bad thing. It is one of my strengths. It is what helps me to be so entrepreneurial.
But I am not very good at completing projects by myself. If I am not careful, I will get really excited about my ideas and will work on some of them for a long time – for what seems like forever – and then, suddenly, just stop.
This does not work very well, particularly if I want to succeed in business. Being an entrepreneur is not just about ideas, it is also about making money. So, at some point, I have to carry the ball into the end zone, or I am never going to succeed!
Working with Your Weaknesses
That is why I now am working with an editor on my writing and a business coach on my business. They are supporting me in getting the work done, in carrying the ball into the end zone.
Knowing your weaknesses will allow you the information you need to make decisions about what to do in those areas. You may choose to delegate or avoid those tasks that are not your strong suit. In some cases, you don’t have a choice, for whatever reason, and you have to do a task that you are not well suited for. In this case, coming up with a strategy to accomplish the task with the least pain possible is probably the way to go.
Operating From Your Strengths
If you have a choice, operating from your strengths will make the ride so much easier.
This was really reinforced for me while reading Tom Rath’s Strengthsfinder 2.0, where he recounts the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, who was the subject of the movie Rudy.
After applying three times to Notre Dame, Rudy was finally accepted. He practiced with the team for two years, and was finally allowed to play in the final game of his senior year. He tackled the opposing team’s quarterback, and his team won. He persevered, with years of trying and thousands of hours of practice!
An inspiring story, to be sure. However, I wonder what he could have accomplished if he had put that much effort into an area where he had natural talent.
I always encourage people to go after their dreams. I just want to help them to align their dreams with their natural talents, and also figure out how to work with their weaknesses.
Are there any adjustments you can make to your plan to make the ride easier?
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