Got Potential?

How often have we asked ourselves: Is this all there is to work?  Why don’t I enjoy my job?  How can I be more satisfied?  If you have asked one (or all) of these questions, you are in a great silent majority.  From Millennials to Boomers, people have pondered these questions for decades.
 
Is this all there is to work?  Well, I have good news for you.  That isn’t all there is.  If you want to feel fulfilled and successful, you have to take some steps to find your true potential.
 
“If you work at what you love you will never work a day in your life,” said Harvey Mackay, a renowned author.  How right he is; if you do what you love, you will not feel like you are dragging yourself through your work day. 
 
Can you picture yourself on a rainy Monday morning saying, “thank God it’s Monday!!”  If you can’t, then you need to read on and follow my series of blog posts.
 
Finding your Potential – Step One.
 
How do you go about finding your true potential? 
 
The first thing I do with my clients is help them identify their natural abilities.  These are the abilities or talents that come “factory installed” (you are born with them and they come easily to you.) 
 
Beyoncé has a natural ability to sing.  Derek Jeter is a natural athlete and leader.  We might not be Beyoncé or Derek Jeter but we do have our own unique talents that we are meant to use.  People who discover their abilities and allow them to work for them are the ones who find fulfillment in their lives. 
 
Some of you might be saying, “I don’t have natural talent or abilities,” but you do!  Each of us view our natural talents as humdrum. We assume everyone else has them and that what we have is really not that special. 
 
But this view, albeit universal, is very, very wrong.  You have your abilities for a purpose and it is your responsibility to identify them and put them to use for the greater good (and for your own fulfillment.) 
 
#1        The first step we all need to take is to make a list with two columns. On one side, list what you perceive to be your natural gifts/talents.  On the other side, indicate the ones you enjoy the most by ranking them on a scale of 1-5, with five being the highest.
 
#2        Secondly, identifying your skills, which are the things that you have learned during your life and career.  Divide this section of your paper into three columns. In the first column, make a list of what you perceive to be your skills. In the second column, rank them according to your strength in that area.
 
Please use a scale of 1-5, five being your strongest.  In the third column, rank them on how much you enjoy them using the same scale of 1-5, five being the most enjoyable  (even though you are skilled in an area, you may not enjoy it.)
 
In my next blog post we will continue on this journey to fulfillment. Stay tuned!