Select Page

How to Keep Your Strengths from Becoming a Weakness

by | Jan 20, 2012 | Self-Employed Sweet Spot

At some point you have probably had some type of personality assessment. There are about 100 different flavors out there.  My favorite so far is the Strengths Finder.  I took this test, and it illuminated my top 5 strengths:

  • Learner
  • Strategic
  • Achiever
  • Intellection
  • Ideation

Take a look at my top strength – learner.  I have always loved learning new things.  School has always been fairly easy to me, but this post isn’t about me, its about what you can learn from my experiences.

Since I like learning, and it comes easy for me, it is so easy for me to lose focus by the lure of another opportunity.  Sometimes I find a project that looks just way too irresistible, so I take it.  “I can learn so much from this,” I rationalize.  Meanwhile my more strategic endeavors stall.  Eventually I snap to my senses and get back on track.  Sure, I’ve learned plenty on my detour, but I have lost precious time on the very accomplishments that I said were so important to me.

How to Combat The Weakness of Your Strength

When an opportunity comes your way run it through the following filters.

  • How far am I willing to go down this rabbit hole?
  • Can I bail out of this so called “opportunity” easily if I find it is taking me too far off track?
  • What is the signal or trigger event that will tell me it is time to move on?

I’m writing this post just as much for me as I am for you.  I’m going to print these three filters  on a card and tape them somewhere on my dashboard so I can see them every morning as I take my kid to daycare.  Following these easy to use filters will keep my confidence high and keep me on track to reaching my goals.