Finding your Strengths

One of the links from my last blog, which was part of Dave Ramsey's January newsletter was about finding your strengths. Dave shares some insight from Marcus Buckingham that I found really useful in the current "What am I going to be when I grow up?" phase I'm in right now.

What's also interesting (and encouraging) to me about this post is that my dad sent it to me about a week before I read it on the website. After I had talked to him some about things going on in my life and the direction I felt I was heading, he read the Ramsey/Buckingham post and sent it to me. It's encouraging to me because it shows me that he's really interested in what's going on in my life and that he's supportive of the steps I'm taking. So thanks, Dad, for sharing and encouraging. And thanks to Dave Ramsey and Marcus Buckingham for the wisdom.

How to Find Your Strengths

Just because you're good at something doesn't make it a strength

from daveramsey.com on 06 Aug 2009

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According to Marcus Buckingham, author of Go Put Your Strengths To Work, "Most people think your strengths are what you're good at, and your weaknesses are what you're bad at." He explains that this isn't a good way to measure your strengths and skills.

There may be a lot of things that you're good at, but hate doing. Just because you're good at something doesn't make it a strength. You also must have a passion for what you're doing—that's what qualifies it as a strength.

"A better definition of a strength," said Buckingham, "is an activity that makes you feel strong. And a weakness is an activity that makes you feel weak. Even if you're good at it, if it drains you, that's a weakness."

He recommends writing down activities that drain you or energize you during a regular week. This will prohibit others from confirming or denying your strengths and weaknesses. Instead, you're determining what they are without letting other people's opinions influence you.

Once you have determined your strengths, you need to refine and sharpen your skills. "You grow the most, learn the most, develop the most in the areas where you already have some natural advantage," said Buckingham.

According to Buckingham, there are four clear signs of a strength:

1. Success—This is effectiveness in the activity you are doing.
2. Instincts—Find those things that you instinctively look forward to, and capitalize on them.
3. Growth—You're growing when you can concentrate on an activity, and time just flies by.
4. Needs—Some activities might make you tired, but they fulfill you.

Now that you know your strengths, it's time to put them into action. From your list that you kept throughout the week, write down three strength statements. Buckingham said the statements should be "specific enough to conjure up passion within you, but general enough for you to apply every week." He says you can't build a career around your best unless you know your strengths. "It's one of the skills of life."

From Dave Ramsey's website http://www.daveramsey.com/article/how-to-find-your-strengths/