Believe in your strengths

Do you really, truly believe in your strengths? Or do you focus on your weaknesses instead?

Most of the people I work with come to strengths coaching because they are struggling to believe in the power and goodness of their strengths. And that lack of belief holds them back from bringing their special brand of magic to the world.

They say, “But this isn’t really a strength, it’s something everyone can do”; “But that’s not as important/valuable/useful as _________”; “But no one will pay me to do that”; or, “But if it’s fun, then it’s not really work”.

And on and on they go, not realising that every single one of those statements is completely, 100% wrong!

Your strengths are your best, most reliable, and most powerful source of energy, wellbeing, results, and fun. You’re allowed to enjoy what you do for a living!

It’s time to embrace the power of your strengths.

The first time I encountered this Marianne Williamson quotation (you can read the full version on Goodreads), I felt a mixture of inspiration and overwhelm. Inspired to believe that within me, and all of us, lies a spark that can transform the world, or at least my corner of it. Overwhelm because I believed that I had to go from zero to hero in an instant, and I had no idea how to get there.

Then I discovered the strengths-based approach, and things got a whole lot clearer.

Before you believe, you need to know what you’re believing in

We can’t believe in nothing. Our belief needs a focal point.

And I reckon that personal strengths are a fantastic option. They’re not the silver bullet that will fix everything that ails you and the world, but they’re certainly part of the solution.

Too often, we spend most of our time and energy working on our weaknesses. We believe in their power more than we do our strengths. That focus will derail us, because we’ll waste time and energy on things that we’ll never be great at. And doing that prevents us from using that time and energy to hone the brilliance that lies in our strengths.

So, do you know what your top personal strengths are? Not just what you’re great at, but the things that light you up, that get you out of bed in the morning, that make you feel like the truest version of yourself? These are your Genius strengths.

If you know your Genius strengths

If you have already used The Strengths Deck, or another approach, to identify your Genius strengths, then it’s time to really believe in them, and put them to work for you, and those around you.

You can dial up your belief in your Genius strengths by:

• using them in new ways or situations
• trying out some new strengths combinations
• partnering with someone else so they benefit from your strengths
• dialling a strength up or down compared to how you usually use it

If you aren’t sure what your Genius strengths are

If you don’t know what they are, don’t despair! There are many ways you can work out what they are. Obviously, I think The Strengths Deck is a brilliant way (and not just because I created it, but because every week I see and hear stories of how it is transforming how people view themselves and how they do their work). If you want to get started with The Strengths Deck, you can buy your own deck here, or book your free 30-min discovery call with me.

And there are lots of other options too. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are you doing when you lose all sense of time and self – this ‘flow’ state is a good indicator that you’re using your Genius strengths
• What did you love doing as a kid?
• Do you ever find yourself thinking “I can’t believe I get paid to do this?”

Or check out these free online assessments:

• Strengths Profile Starter Profile
• VIA Character Strengths Assessment

Begin to believe

Once you know what your top personal strengths are, and start to use them with intention and purpose, you’ll become a true believer too. There are several ways to use your personal strengths intentionally and purposefully.

Reflect on the impact on you, and those around you, when you are using these personal strengths wisely and well. Usually, you’ll notice that when you use them, you feel a greater sense of energy, engagement, and wellbeing. And you probably find that results come without huge effort. The people around you will benefit, not only from the results you deliver, but also because you’re being the best version of yourself. And that can inspire them to look to their own personal strengths so they can be their own best selves.

Dial up your under-utilised strengths. There might be that there was something you were great at and loved in the past. But for some reason, you’re not using much right now. How can you bring it back? You don’t have to “go big or go home” with this approach. Find little ways to sprinkle it through your days and weeks.

Experiment with your strengths. What’s a different way you could put your strengths to work? For example, if Centre Stage is a top personal strength, and you happily use it when you’re with friends, but you don’t really use it at work, how could you dial it up in the workplace? You could volunteer to MC an event. Or you could challenge yourself to speak up at the next staff meeting.

Monitor your results

If you’ve read anything that I’ve written, you’ve probably realised that I love the idea of running experiments. That’s because the idea of an experiment helps us shift out of win-lose binary thinking, and into learning mode. Even if something doesn’t work out as you had hoped, you can use the results as data to help you try better next time.

If your experiment works out as you’d hoped, or exceeded your expectations, great! Embed the approach as ‘how I do things’, so that you get the benefits of the improvement long-term.

I believe in you!

My job is, quite literally, to believe in other people’s strengths so that they can learn to believe in them too. Having someone who can help you spot, and use, your strengths is a powerful way to make lasting change. If you’re keen to have someone in your corner, book your free call. We’ll talk about how working with me can get you believing in your Genius strengths, and living as your brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous self!