We’ve been setting goals our whole life. Before we even knew what goals were, we’ve had the instinct to want to eat that first bite, take that first step and speak that first word, pushing the limits each time. How quickly we changed from baby to toddler to adolescent to teenager, making and meeting goals every step of the way.
Now that we’ve been forced to embrace the reality of adulthood, do we still maintain that motivation, that natural instinct to set and reach that next goal, or has it passed us by like childhood? No need to sugar coat the truth, “adulting” can be hard! With all the stress and pressures we process daily, it’s important to consciously make an effort to keep our aspirations positive while we move forward to our next goal.
Staying Positive Through Change
How do we remain positive, when we live in a world surrounded by negatives? Knowing your strengths will help you stay upbeat on your path to achieve your goals. Not only will your strengths help provide direction, but also a natural feeling of self-support and confidence. Your mental strength is much like physical strength; you need to develop your muscles and use them often to keep them in tip-top shape.
If you are just beginning this journey and struggling to uncover your strengths, start with an ASSESSMENT to learn more about yourself. If you want to understand more about assessments, this article will answer all your questions. Once you have completed some related assessments, stop. Now is the time to REFLECT. Based on what you found, what are the strengths you can capitalize on and develop further? What skills can or should you grow to move in the direction of your goals?
OK, so you have more clarity on what your unique strengths are, you’ve had a heart-to-heart with yourself, now what? FEEDBACK. Getting feedback is a vital part of growth, playing a critical part in making certain that we don’t veer off the path to our goal. A simple way to garner feedback is to ask five trusted individuals (from different backgrounds, expertise areas or groups) how they perceive you, while giving them permission to be raw, honest, and thoughtful. Synthesize the responses, weed out the isolated incidences, and look for common themes. If things are still fuzzy, ask five more people.
Each step we’ve outlined so far is a building block to finding and developing your strengths on your way to accomplishing your goals. Each step is dependent on the prior step to be successful. Now that you have solid, trusted feedback, it’s time to consider where to go in the next step of your development. There may be many different strengths you want to develop further, but not all are equally important here and now. How do you prioritize which areas to work on first?
Start by asking yourself, what is your ultimate GOAL in developing your strengths? Where you start should ultimately be determined by where you want to end up. Steven Covey says it best in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People when he describes the second habit – Begin with the End in Mind.
Once you understand your end goal, begin crafting your PLAN. Use all the information you’ve collected to help you map out the next steps in your personal developmental process. You should now have a clear, well-defined plan or strategy to identify and develop your strengths. Understandably, each of our unique situations may not always fit in this step-by-step process. On occasion, we need to reach out for help. On our recent podcast, No Labels No Limits, our guest Susan Gomez mentioned she is never without a coach of some sort. Don’t hesitate to recognize when you need help because struggling alone is one of the worst feelings.
“Having a coach gives you the ability to make decisions in a different way. You have the joy of knowing that whatever, and even if you fail, it is the ability to know that you can take the risk. It opens up opportunities for every part of your life. It touches every part of your life, not just the career choices. It impacts family, self esteem, it impacts all aspects of one’s life in such a positive way.” You can listen to the full episode and gain more insights here: http://nolabelsnolimitspodcast.com/episode-010-susan-gomez.
Identify and Develop your Strengths
- Learn more about yourself (use tools like assessments)
- Stop and reflect (analyze your findings)
- Get feedback (keep your ideas/goals grounded)
- Determine your development goal (the real reason why you want to develop your strengths)
- Make a plan (take all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained and map out your success)
Many of my blogs are my way of sharing my journey with other driven, high-achieving women who know there’s something else they want to be doing – whether it’s something completely new, in addition to what they’re currently doing, or a future direction they want to take. Many times our goals are dynamic, ever-changing and evolving. If you are looking for guidance on your life’s path, my inbox is always open.
