Success secret - shift your focus to strengths
We are always told to focus on our weaknesses and improve them. So much that, sometimes we try so hard to be a jack of all trades that we fail to be a master of any. My point here is not that our weaknesses in any area are to be ignored completely. I am suggesting that our weaknesses need our attention only so much as to bring it up from pits of doom. Our chief area of attention should always be our strong points.
In school, kids are expected to get good grades in every subject, while they may actually be really good at just a couple. Similarly, in life, our real strengths might be in just a few areas. I think that the people who really add true and great value and leave their mark in the world are those who focus on just those one or two subjects, and fine tune their ability in those areas to the point of perfection.
The very first reason why we should focus on our strengths and not weaknesses is because strengths are our USP. It is not our set of weaknesses that make up who we are. It is our valuable strengths that constitute the unique skillset we have. Our strengths are what shape our contribution to the world.
In real life, perfection is often a myth. By trying to go beyond a point on all of our weak areas, we are trying to be perfect, which is often just an illusion. True and realisting perfection lies in perfecting what we do best.
Focusing on weaknesses steals time. We often waste too much time focusing on trying to bring up our weak areas to 80% or 90%, while it is often enough to just get it to a passing score. Trying too hard to become too good at everything often steals a lot of time. It could in stead be used to better something we are already good at.
Another important point is that focusing on weaknesses drains us. Our motivation goes down when sometimes our efforts do not render enough results. It drains our life energy and drags us down. Think about it, why should we punish ourselves too hard for something that is hardly worth the time we spend on it?
On the other hand, focusing on our strengths motivates us. It is always a great feeling to do something which we know we are good at. And pushing ourselves to be even better in it can help get us to genius or near - genius levels. It helps build our self esteem when we realize we are good at something, and getting even better.
Strengths are easier to build on. Since you already have a knack for it, things wouldn't be too tough on you. It is much easier compared to slogging on improving your weaknesses.
I would like to stress that I am not saying that we should forget weaknesses altogether. I am just saying, get to a passable level at them, and work like crazy on your strengths. The results will be significantly higher than if you were trying to balance everything. It is always better to know all of something and some of all things! ;)
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May 02, 2009. Copyright Gayathri Moosad
