7 TIPS to Capitalize on Your Strengths

Once you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can begin to place focus on the strengths you have to lead you to living an Intentional Life. You’ll still want to develop your strengths and improve on the weaknesses you’ve identified that matter to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realm. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can greatly impact your ability to capitalize on your strengths to make progress on goals and success in all areas of your life.

Identifying strengths is an important element within my coaching programs because it’s one of the quickest PATHS to transformation for clients that are committed to their success. We do this with researched-based exercises, self-awareness, and reflection.

When you’ve determined what people compliment you for, what you’re happiest doing, and how those things fit into your life, you’ll be able to better approach your quest for success in all areas of your life, including play, personal, and professional work. The truth is that the main area of importance is the personal because it is foundational to living with clarity, purpose, and direction. If your personal life feels successful, then your play and professional work will feel that way too. Your top qualities, characteristics, and strengths will be apparent across all three areas. 

Once you’ve identified your strengths, it’s time to capitalize on them and allow them to pave the way to living the life of your dreams...an Intentional Life based on your personal values, boundaries, and goals.

Here are seven tips to help you be intentional with your time, energy, and money:

• Say No – If it’s possible, start saying no to tasks that don’t emphasize and take advantage of your strengths. Time is your most valuable asset and managing it is your responsibility. Take charge and don’t commit to activities and tasks that don’t serve you, bring you joy, or align with your purpose. You honestly do not need an excuse to say no, but if you’re uncomfortable, just say you have to check with your calendar or your partner first. Then say no later. Sometimes just taking a quick pause before responding will allow you to distance yourself from committing to what you do not want to do.

• Cross Skills – Are you super organized at work, but your home life is a little chaotic due to lack of organization? Why not share some of your work skill of organization with your home life to help you find more joy at home? Use important systems to help you master your time, energy, and space. Schedule activities and events on your calendar that align with your purpose, values, and intentions.

• Keep Learning – If you have a weakness that is interfering in one of your strengths, identify steps you can take for improvement. Following the philosophy of the Indian Proverb A House With Four Rooms, I do something daily for my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s important to keep learning to capitalize on your strengths and to do this, my clients learn to adopt the Kaizen technique of making small, incremental steps forward for progress. Don’t stress about not knowing something or transforming a weakness, just take one step each day to learn something you need to know. For example, if you need to learn about a topic, find books and read at least 30 minutes each day. This is a healthy habit for your mental wellbeing. By the end of the year you’ll have become an expert in at least one subject. 

• Don’t Like Something? Stop. – You really don’t need an excuse, but if you really dislike doing something, you don’t have to do it. Figure out what else you can do, hire someone to do it for you, or give it up altogether. You need to be intentional with your own life. Start with the things you can easily stop doing right now. Make the changes. Then, identify the things that you want to give up and can’t right now, create steps toward being able to give it up or delegate it. 

• Strengths First – Make it your goal to spend more quality time doing things you enjoy doing that you are good at. If you make it a goal to spend your time for the most part with everything you like doing and are good at doing, your life will feel even more successful as every moment will be a pleasure. Building this positive momentum will carry into other areas of your life.

• Avoid Negative People – If anyone in your life is a drag on your confidence, self-esteem, or self-worth, you need to consider letting the relationship go. Some people, even family, are toxic to living an Intentional Life, so you’ll need to set personal and professional boundaries. Don’t allow negative judgments or gossip to manipulate your thoughts because your thoughts lead to your feelings which lead to the actions you do or do not take. Spend time with people who lift you up, make you feel good, and make you know you can do it. Whatever “it” is.

• Leave Your Comfort Zone – Focusing on your strengths doesn’t mean you avoid leaving your comfort zone. Personal development is important to your growth, wellbeing, and happiness. Allow yourself to live large and be the person you want to be. For example, if you enjoy writing and fancy yourself a published author, make it a goal to write for at least one hour a day leading to a published book at the end of the year. Push through anything uncomfortable to move on and forward with living your Intentional Life...the life you deserve to live.

The benefit of focusing on your strengths over weaknesses is a life lived of pleasure, happiness, and success over one of frustration and unrequited goals. By nurturing your talents, you’ll avoid the risk of them fading away and the pain of regret.

This became evident to me with my search and direction for living my own Intentional Life, especially after growing up in a dysfunctional family, as a victim of domestic violence, a tumultuous divorce, and nearly losing my life because of a major health issue. I value living my Intentional Life...connecting with people, visiting new places, and using my strengths to have a positive impact on others...enjoying my life free of the past traumas, blessed beyond measure, and truly happy.

Until next time...

Lisa

P.S. Are you capitalizing on your strengths to live your best life? A Pilgrimage to Self Lifestyle Coaching offers private 1:1 coaching and an online membership to help women discover, design, and develop their own Intentional Lives. The Achieve with UNLIMITED Laser Coaching helps busy professionals accomplish their personal and professional goals. Learn more at www.lisamcgrath.me