How to Discover Your Talents
When you’re on the path to success, it’s easy to become disoriented. You’re probably wondering if you’re doing the right things to make yourself happy and what your true talents are. Am I fulfilling my potential? Is this what I’m meant to do? It’s easy to get lost in that sea of questions that don’t have easy answers. Today, we’re going to provide some strategies that’ll help you discover your talents.
For starters, you should ask yourself some questions. Am I happy doing what I do? Is this how I want to spend my time? How can I discover my real talent? The more you understand the “why?”, the easier it is to identify the “how?”
There’s a series of questions, called “powerful questions,” that help you more easily discover your talents. By talents we mean the things that make you tick, feel fulfilled, and absorb you so you don’t even notice the time passing. There’s no time to waste. Thus, grab a pencil and paper and start reflecting now.
“For the past 33 years, I’ve looked into the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been “no,” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”
-Steve Jobs-
Finding what you love
What do you tend to pay attention to? Is there an activity that absorbs you so completely you don’t even notice the time passing? What do you think about to distract you from humdrum everyday tasks? Is there something that makes you feel fluid and free? What could you do for hours without much effort? What’s the thing that makes you smile inside and out?
Finding what you love to do is important; the thing that makes you feel free, the thing you enjoy, the thing that gives you peace and calm. When you know what you love, happiness comes easy. Your talent, then, has to be close to what you love. It has to nourish itself with that energy and allow you to fill your time with it.
Finding what the world needs from you
What do you think other people need the most? How do you think you might help them? What can you offer to the world and what would you like to share with the people around you? The world needs your unique talent, there’s nothing else like it in the world. Figure out what makes you different and use it to help other people grow. Identifying all of these elements is important to help you visualize your path and make a contribution to the world around you.
Identify what you’re good at
What do you do well? Is there something special that your friends value about you? What about the new people you meet? Does something come naturally to you that’s difficult for other people? What’s something you’re good at that others admire you for? Would you do something for no pay?
When you get lost on the path to success, other people’s words can help orient you. People who are close to you can remind you how you’ve gotten as far as you have. They’ll be able to remind you why you’re there and what you do well.
Find something you can get paid to do
What does money mean to you? How do you feel when you hold money in your hand? Do you tend to save or do you spend money as soon as you get it? What value would you put on your contribution?
The meaning you give to money is important because it’s what you get in exchange for the time you dedicate to your work. When you feel valued and your work is comforting to you, the value of money changes. It’s a reward for your talent. You exchange money for offering your special skills and talents to other people.
Imagine that you wake up one day and discover that you’re famous. What would you be famous for? Have you achieved something that other people recognize you for? What would you be spending your time on if your dream were to come true? When you discover your talent, it’s a gift to you and those around you.
