Sharing the story of my love for riding and enjoyment of golf is to highlight a common mis-perception. Just because we are proficient at something doesn’t mean we will pursuit it or even attempt mastery.
Discovering what we enjoy doing is an ongoing, exploratory process. Parents, teachers and other earlier influencers notice and suggest things that would interest us. They also provide the opportunities for us to experience and explore things, discovering what we enjoy and revealing natural talents.
As we mature, we are encouraged to hone in on an area of interest; to choose a major in college and a career for the future. This forces us to begin making choices and directing our energies. Sometimes only the experience of doing something confirms or denies the choice of a future path.
The possessor of the talent is the one to make the final determination of how it is used. Much of the disconnect in our workplaces and even the world, can be connected back to people working in areas where someone of influence thought they would be good. Observations from others can be extremely helpful but each of us must recognize that we are the only one that can determine the right fit for us.
There are great tools to assist with this process of discovery. Here are a few I recommend:
- Make note of experiences and circumstances where you are lost in the moment
- Take the StrengthsFinder Assessment
- Determine your values
- Interview people who work in your area of interest
- Take an internship or shadow someone for a day
- Find a mentor or coach to be an objective sounding board
Where are you in the discovery of what you do best?