Discover Your Strengths

Identifying Your Strengths and Prioritizing Your Activities

• People are multitalented and can perform a wide range of tasks.

• Identifying your strengths is crucial to success and happiness.

• There is a big difference between being able to do something and feeling fulfilled doing it.

• It is important to distinguish between what you are capable of doing and what you are motivated and driven to do.

• Extensive research has been done on the topic of strengths by the Gallup Group, which has identified 34 consistent patterns of strengths that individuals exhibit.

• Working to use your abilities in areas of your greatest interests will make you feel most satisfied.

• Prioritizing your activities helps you determine what matters most to you and allows you to focus your efforts on those items.

• Establishing a personal and professional vision, mission, and values statement can help you build a roadmap for action.

• Answering common job interview questions can help you clarify your aspirations for the future and build a personal vision, mission, and goals.

• Writing down your aspirations and keeping them handy can help you stay on your intended path.

• Without some feelings of satisfaction, your life’s work will be reduced to just another job.

• Knowing who you are and what interests you will help you to become more effective and more satisfied.Career Goals and Focusing Your Efforts

• Set clear career goals for yourself for the next five, ten, and twenty years.

• Make a list of what you need to do to prepare yourself for opportunities that will help you achieve your goals.

• Determine what you need to know and be able to do to best prepare yourself for success.

• Being prepared does not guarantee success, but it increases your chances of success.

• The analogy of a firefighter versus a fire prevention specialist highlights the importance of focusing on preventing problems rather than just reacting to them.

• Without a clear vision of your goals and priorities, you are likely to get sidetracked by other people's needs and wants.

• Put out fires takes time away from making permanent improvements.

• You have limited time and resources, so you need to make conscious decisions on how to best use them.

• Focusing on what matters to you personally and professionally can provide internal energy and motivation.

• It is necessary to get organized to help with the practical aspects of achieving your goals.

• A simple three-step process can help you organize anything and everything you do.

• The three-step process involves determining what needs to be done, deciding what is most important, and scheduling time to do it.