Mofoluwaso Ilevbare: 8 Tips To Help Figure Out What You’re Good At

It could take months or even years to get really good at something. Ask the famous Olympians and Nobel Prize Winners and they will tell you their stories.

Knowing what you’re really good at helps you stay in tune and in touch with your true self. Also, it helps you leverage those strengths to excel in business or in life. What may take others 30 days could take you 30 minutes. It helps productivity and gives more meaning to the things we do in life. It ignites passion and makes life meaningful.

Trying to figure out what you are really good at should not be a hassle. What are some ways that can help you figure it out?

Do a Self Audit
A self audit is simply putting yourself under your own scrutiny. What do you do well but with little effort? Think widely. I suggest making a list of things that interest you, go as far back as you can remember.
Past: What did you love doing as a child?
Present: If you had no cares, or worries, what could you lose sleep over?
Future: What would you like to do more of?

Listen
One of the best qualities you could possess is the ability to listen. Pay attention to comments and compliments people pass every day about you. Sometimes, we are too modest to let those compliments sink in. Take a moment to hear the words and analyse them. What is being repeated? What is common to all of the comments? Someone said, “It’s hard to see yourself when you are inside the frame.”

Take a Chance
Not every piece of life’s puzzle is clear from the moment you were born. The exciting thing about life is finding out new things about yourself every day. So, be bold and explore the beautiful people and things around you and try out new things – maybe a trip to Africa, an expedition to the Canary Islands, attend an art class, spend a weekend in Cuba, take a golf class, you never know. You may just spark a desire within you that you never knew existed.

Ask The Creator
Maintaining your spiritual connection to God is integral to a balanced living. Another way to know what you are really good at is to ask the Creator Himself to show you. From the moment you were conceived your unique features were deposited. So who best to ask?

Do a 360 Feedback
A 360 feedback is not only relevant in the workplace. It is a great gift you can give yourself in your personal life. There are many things which on our own we take for granted. For example, I love writing songs – all I need is to hear a musical instrument playing and I immediately can picture a song coming up in my head. It may not be an amazing mathematical formula that will speed up our journey to Mars but it still makes you special. So do a 360 feedback for yourself and ask your peers, your subordinates, your boss/clients, your professional and social network of friends these basic questions. You might be surprised by what they will say.

i. What do you think I am good at?
ii. Why do you think so?
iii. Ask them to cite instances where you demonstrated this behaviour/skill to help you understand it better.

Your Actions Speak Louder
Over the next 5 days, pay close attention to yourself: your actions, emotions, and speech. Monitor your actions. How do you approach your work? What do you jump at easily? What seems to be a drag? As human beings, we tend to do the easy things first- so assess how you work and observe if there is a pattern. As you monitor your emotions, highlight your highs and your lows – times you feel so great and other times you feel not so good. What was happening during those times? What were you doing or not doing? Reflect on the outcome and see if there are satisfaction-triggers that give you a feeling of “Yes, I’m good at this!” Observe how you spend your resources (time, money, energy). Do you seem to spontaneously spend energy on things you love to do or the opposite? Maybe what takes others 30 hours takes you 30minutes.

Take A Personality Test
There are many personality tests available online that you can explore to see what they tell you about yourself. One of such tests is the Clifton StrengthFinder test. You can easily find it online, or get more information from the book StrengthsFinder 2.0. As you take the personality tests, be objective and open to the results. Don’t be defensive as this may close the door to understanding more about yourself or the outcome. I also believe that sharing with someone you trust or debriefing your results with a professional coach can help you clarify your next step.

Work With A Coach
Sometimes, we are our own worst critics. Even when you know you are good at something, that inner voice sometimes makes you undermine your courage, audacity of execution, great communication skills, leadership style, competence…the list goes on. Partnering with a professional coach, like me, can help peel off the layers of blindfold on your eyes that may be blocking your view to who you are and what gifts you possess.

I hope these few tips help you figure out what you are good at so you can rise, fly, and shine. Maybe you already know what you are good at. My challenge for you is this: Are you using what you’re good at every day? If you went to the doctors and you were told you had only 30 days to live, would you continue your daily routine as you do today or would you do something different? If your answer is the latter, that may be a trigger. One of the best gifts you can give yourself this year is a notebook / a journal / writing pad / a diary and a pen. If you’re the digital type, there are many note-taking mobile apps available. Write out 3 things you are good at and commit to displaying them wherever you find yourself.

It is never too late to jump into your purpose and be happy. Life is too short to spend it doing only the things you are not good at. Once you find what you are good at, be intentional about demonstrating it. Make passion and commitment your best friends and go live your best life ever. Hold nothing back and put your best self to work every day.

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