Our perception of ourselves is complex.
Ironically, much like we cannot see our own nose, we are often blinded to the
things that we are best at. It can be really hard to identify our brightest
talents and they are often in the places we least expect. We may even be very
good at things that we perceive ourselves as being bad at. There are many good
reasons to want to explore your talents but it's going to take a little work.
Open your mind to all paths.
Because you are likely blind to what some of your talents really are, a good
place to start when evaluating your talents is to just open your mind to the
possibilities. Keep in mind that talents extend beyond just playing the guitar
or dancing like a pro. Talents come in all shapes and sizes and extend into
many areas of life.
- For example, being able to read emotions very accurately is a very useful talent.
Look back on your past. As you reflect on
yourself in search of your talents, start by looking at your past. Look at the
things that you've done. Look at the things you've enjoyed. Look at the times
when you really excelled. Ask yourself questions like "What am I most
proud of that I've done?" or "When was I so proud that I didn't care
what anyone thought?"
- One good thing to think about was what your childhood was like. What did you do a lot as a kid? What did you enjoy? What were you known for? Sometimes this can reveal some of our deepest talents and certainly will reveal interests that can be probed further.Think about your hobbies as your personality is made by them they are the things you do regularly and your hidden talent is that which you can do better than everyone so focus on your hobbies and how you do them every single step.
- Another thing you can think about are the times in your life that you've been challenged. Think about the tough situations that you've had to deal with. Times of trial can often reveal our hidden skills. For example, when your dad had a heart attack, maybe you kept your head and called 911. Staying alert and calm in an emergency is a really useful talent.
Think about what you enjoy.
The things that make you happy can also reveal your talents. Think about the
things that you love to do. Do people ever give you compliments on it? Do they
ever ask for your help with it? You might not think of it as a talent but it
probably is.
- Do you ever completely lose track of time? You start doing something and you just don't even notice time passing? This might hint at your talent. For example, maybe you get lost when you're modding your favorite video game. This might be one of your talents.
- Listen to how you talk. Do you ever find yourself rambling to your family or your best friend about this subject that means so much to you? This might be another hint at a talent you have.
Evaluate what you're good at.
Now, there's a big difference between what you enjoy and what you're good at.
You might think of your talents only being things that you love doing, but it's
important to remember that our talents are often things we don't enjoy or
things we don't even think about. This is why it's important to take a long
hard look at what you're actually good at.
- Think about things that come naturally to you. Things you don't struggle with. Do you ever find yourself telling someone, "Never-mind, it's easier if I do it" or "Here, let me help you with that"? Do you find yourself correcting people? These behaviors usually indicate something that you're good at and know a lot about.
Think about times you were successful.
Look back on your life and think about times where you really succeeded, times
where you felt about to burst with the pride of your success. This can indicate
a talent you possess.
- For example, maybe you helped your boss rearrange and reorganize his office and helped things at your work run so much more smoothly. Organization is a very useful talent.
Write the story of your life.
This exercise can help you reveal not only the talents that you have but also
talents that you should consider developing. Write about what you were like as
a kid, what you liked to do before and after school, what your favorite
subjects were. Write about growing up. Write about where you're at in your life
now. Now, write about your future. Write about where you want to go. Write
about what you want people to say at your funeral.
- This exercise reveals your priorities and what you really think is important about yourself.
It can also reveal what you want for your life, helping you
focus on talents you should cultivate if you want to achieve your dreams.
Ask around. Having an outside
perspective, other people may find it easier to see what you're good at. Ask
around and people will usually be happy to tell you what they see as your
strengths. Be sure to talk to people that know you well but also people that
barely know you. Both will see you in different ways and the differences that
they see can tell you even more about yourself.
Build on your existing skills.
You probably already have some basic skills. Any skill that you possess can be
turned into a real talent, but you need to take the time to develop it and
really work on experiencing all of the different activities that go in to that
talent. You might have experienced only a small aspect of a possible talent and
you will need to experience much more if you really want to cultivate it.
For example, let's say that you're pretty good at interior
design. You certainly made your room looks pretty nice. Well, try developing
that skill into a full talent. Study up on interior design, mess around with
computer programs for interior design, and cultivate an awesome Pinterest. By
investing in this skill and exploring it further, you can develop your minor
skill into a talent.
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