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Then your immediate response was something like, “oh thank you, but it really wasn’t anything special.”

I know I’ve certainly responded that way at times.

In addition to maybe some false humility, I responded this way because I was unaware of my strengths.

Many of us are unaware of our strengths and what we do well.

This could be due to a variety of factors, but one factor I’m sure of is the influence of our culture’s focus on improving our weaknesses.

We have been told from a very young age to work on making our weaknesses better.

In elementary school through high school what gets circled or checked off on a test? The incorrect answers.

What happens when a child gets a low grade in one or more subjects? Parents pay for tutoring in that subject.

What do many employers focus on during performance reviews? Opportunities for growth (a.k.a. getting better at weaknesses).

I thought this was just the way it was – a necessary evil. You work on some weak area in order to bring it up to par with the areas where you’re doing well.

You’ll be on your way to a happy, healthy, “well-rounded” life.

Then I read Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.

Through the research done by the Gallup organization, Rath found that people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times more likely to enjoy their jobs and more than three times as likely to report they have an excellent quality of life in general.

That’s amazing, especially in light of our culture’s obsession with improving weaknesses.

Admittedly when I first took the Strengthsfinder 2.0 I really liked it and found it fascinating. However, I read my top five strengths, agreed that I’m generally good in those areas, and didn’t look at them again for a couple of years.

Now, I just recently printed out my top five strengths and taped them to the wall in my office where I will see them every day. When I’m faced with a decision about a career opportunity to pursue I check it against my strengths to make sure I would be honoring those areas.

My top five strengths are:

1. Learner – People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

2. Context – People who are especially talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

3. Belief – People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

4. Responsibility – People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

5. Consistency – People who are especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

What about you? What are you strengths? Are you able to focus on your strengths every day in your work?

You can begin operating in your strengths in your work by taking these three steps:

1. Buy the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book, read it, and take the test.

2. Check your top five strengths against your current job. How do the responsibilities of your job compare to your strengths? Are you utilizing your best talents everyday?

3. Develop an action plan to maximize your strengths in your current job. Or find another opportunity that is more in alignment with your strengths.

The more you know about yourself and what you do well you will be able to make better informed decisions. Which will in turn provide you with more opportunities to be intentional about your life and career.

Question: If you’ve taken the Strengthsfinder 2.0 what are your strengths? If you haven’t taken it, what questions do you have about the instrument?

However, sometimes it can feel like personality assessments raise more questions than provide answers.

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Which is the best one to take? Is it going to say I have the worst personality you can have? How in the world will this help me get a better job? Don’t circumstances dictate how I behave sometimes?

In 2005 I was really struggling with not enjoying my job (actually I was struggling prior to that but I didn’t take any action until 2005) so I quit. I went to see a career coach and one of the things she had me do was take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

The results showed my type as INFJ and after a lot of thought and self-observation I determined the INFJ type fit me exactly.

Taking the MBTI was the cornerstone I needed to begin to figure out who I was, my strengths, my weaknesses and how I could apply those in a work setting.

Now I provide all my clients with a personality assessment depending on their needs. It may be the MBTI, DISC, or Strengthsfinder 2.0. Sometimes all three.

If you’re struggling to figure out the kind of work you’ll love I really recommend starting with a personality assessment.

Even if you’re not struggling with your work I highly recommend taking a personality assessment.

Here are five reasons you should take a personality assessment:

1. It will increase your self-awareness. Self-awareness is the key to unlocking the type of work that fits you best. In addition, self-awareness allows you to be able to more effectively communicate with and influence others. Those who lead truly successful lives, and not just at work, are highly self-aware. They’ve taken the time to figure out exactly who they are and how to leverage their design in all aspects of their lives.

2. It will help you know your strengths. We live in a culture that promotes improving things you’re not very good at. Don’t believe me? Ask any elementary school student what gets pointed out on their papers? Their mistakes or their correct answers? Yet, we are all good at something or many things. If we know what those things are we can put our energy and time into being exceptional in those areas instead of being mediocre in an area we struggle with.

3. It will help you know your weaknesses. We all have blind spots. No matter how you slice it, we just aren’t good at everything and we aren’t always objective in judging our own actions. When you know your weaknesses you can avoid situations, jobs, and relationships that prevent you from using the very best parts of you. Then you can find others who excel in the area of your weaknesses to help you out.

4. It will help you create a filter to find the right type of work for you. Knowing your personality helps you edit and filter the infinite number of opportunities and paths you can choose in your work. Although we may not be able to be anything we want to be we can be more of who we already are. Having the results of a personality assessment is like having a compass. It doesn’t tell you where to go but you can use it to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

5. You will be better able to read other people. The first step is to understand yourself. The next step is to understand others. When you begin to understand how other personality types operate you can communicate more effectively with them, predict their typical behavior, and understand why they do that thing that drives you crazy (hint: it’s not personal).

Although a personality assessment can’t explain everything you’d want to know about yourself it can explain a lot. The path to enjoying your work begins with understanding who you are. A personality assessment is a great tool to help you do just that.

Question: What other benefits do you think a personality assessment might provide?

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When you don’t like your job and you feel stuck, one of the best things you can do is take a personality assessment.

Photo Credit: hobvias sudoneighm

Two of the best, most reliable and valid personality instruments on the market are the DISC and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

The MBTI was the instrument I used during my career transition and it literally changed my life.

Or maybe I should say it explained my life.

You see, none of us are completely objective when it comes to evaluating our own personalities.

We all have blind spots about how we engage with the world.

The other thing that happens is we devalue our strengths.

A certain thing comes easy to us so we disregard it and think everybody can do this. In our mind it’s nothing special.

The DISC profile and MBTI help get us see ourselves more clearly and understand what we do best.

There are some significant differences between DISC and MBTI.

DISC will provide you with four areas of personality and will tell you which one is your most prevalent, second most prevalent, third, and fourth.

You will primarily be a D, I, S, or C.

D = Dominant or Driver – Do you know someone who is assertive, to the point, and wants the bottom line? This is the D style.

I = Influencing or Inspiring – Do you have any friends who are great communicators and friendly to everyone they meet? This is the I style.

S = Steady or Stable – Are you a good listener and great team player who is loyal and steady? The is the S style.

C = Correct or Conscientious – Have you ever worked with someone who enjoys gathering facts and details and is thorough in everything they do? This is the C style.

My primary style is S followed closely by I.

The MBTI on the other hand measures four different areas of our personalities and provides you with a four letter type.

(I) Introversion or (E) Extraversion – This aspect of our personality determines the source of feeling energized. Either by being alone or from interacting with others.

(N) Intuition or (S) Sensing – This is how we prefer to take in information. Either through our five senses (S) or through themes, meaning, and patterns (N).

(T) Thinking or (F) Feeling – This preference has to do with how we prefer to make decisions. We either prefer a more objective and analytical approach (T) or a more people focused and empathetic approach (F).

(J) Judging or ( P) Perceiving – This is how we prefer to organize our lives. We either prefer a very structured approach to life (i.e. love calendars, schedules, and to-do lists) (J) or a more free and open approach to life (i.e. no schedule or calendar, likes to keep options open) ( P).

So, for example, my MBTI type is INFJ.

Now that you know a little about each of the assessments here’s why you need to take them:

1. It will give you objective insight into yourself you otherwise may not know. Many people after taking DISC or MBTi will say, “Did my mother write this?” It’s amazing how well it explains our behavior and thinking.

2. It will help you identify your strengths. The best way to do work you love is to do something you are crazy good at. When you play to your strengths in what you do it will feel natural and fulfilling.

3. It will help you identify your weaknesses. We all have limitations and you will be better off knowing what they are and avoiding doing anything related to those areas of your personality.

4. It will help you filter different opportunities based on how well they fit your personality. When you do determine a career path to pursue you will still need to wade through the many options that will come your way. Knowing your personality and what you do well will help you make the best decision when the time comes.

You were uniquely designed and there has never been anyone on earth like you. The more you know about yourself the higher your self awareness will be.

This will lead you to having more options and allow you to make better decisions. In the end you will find the work you enjoy because it will be connected to who you are at your core.

Questions: Have you taken DISC or MBTI? What’s your type? How has it helped you to know more about your personality? 

(Consider adding a comment below)

*Warning!* Shameless self promotion. You can purchase both assessments on my website by going here.

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I mean we spend so much time with ourselves you’d think we would have this down right?

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Yet, it’s not easy. At least it wasn’t for me.

It’s also the number one reason people contact me. They’re stuck in some way.

It can be a complex problem to navigate because we as humans are complex.

The underlying cause for the problem can be a variety of different things:

• Perfectionism
• Difficulty choosing just one idea
• Truly not knowing
• Fear

You may have a different reason, but these tend to be the ones I hear.

Whatever your log jam is try one of these exercises to get you moving in the right direction to the work you love.

1. Three Movie Exercise. Mary DeMuth talks about doing this with groups she works with. I love this idea. Without thinking too much, list three of your favorite movies. Here are three of mine:

• Field of Dreams
• Brave Heart
• The Natural

Now, think about an underlying theme that runs through each of your favorite movies.

The theme that runs through my favorites (besides baseball for two of them) is believing you can achieve your dream or goal when no one else believes you can.

This theme will likely be what you are passionate about. Try it, you’ll have some fun and you’ll be amazed at what you come up with.

I’d love for you to share your three movies and the common theme in the comments below.

2. Have a “Choose Your Career” BBQ. I mention this exercise in my ebook “5 Steps to Landing Your Dream Job”. Essentially, it goes like this:

1. Invite your closest friends over for a BBQ
2. Ask them to tell you what they think it is you might love to do.
3. Brainstorm with them 100 types of careers that might fit what you do well.
4. When your friends leave, sort through their ideas and choose 20 that strike a chord with you.
5. Start researching more information about your top 5 from the 20.

Question: What are your three movies and the common theme?

(Consider adding a comment below.)

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You went to school, got a job with a good company, and set yourself on a career path your parents would be proud of.

Photo Credit: Zach Klein via Compfight

Or maybe you just took the first job you could find because those student loans were coming due.

Either way, you took a job and now you hate it.

You wonder how this happened. How did you end up doing something every day that sucks the zest for life out of you?

The problem is you don’t know what to do. You don’t know what else you want to do. Even if you did know, you don’t know how to get there.

The good news is there is hope.

This problem can be resolved by doing some real soul searching and assessing three major areas in your life.

Area 1: Your Strengths and Personality

Who are you? What are you good at? If you answer those two questions accurately more than half the battle will be won. Fortunately you don’t have to figure this out on your own. There are a number of resources to help you answer these questions.

One very good and inexpensive way to determine your strengths is to use the Strengthsfinder 2.0 (not an affiliate link) assessment.

Another more comprehensive tool you can use is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is the most reliable and validated personality assessment on the market. Most Fortune 500 companies provide the MBTI to their employees and I provide the MBTI to all of my coaching clients. I highly recommend it.

Area 2: Skills and Abilities

By the time you are 25 you have likely used hundreds of different types of skills to accomplish something. What have you noticed you are particularly good at doing? Which skills do you enjoy using the most? Is there something you would like to be able to do but have not tried?

However, just because you may be good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you enjoy using that skill. You’ll know you’re on the right career track when you find a skill you also enjoy using.

Area 3: Values, Interests, and Dreams

What is important to you? What do you find yourself doing during your non-work hours?

Some may ask you what your passion is. I say rather than search for the holy grail of passion, take a look at what you are already doing. What types of things do you find yourself drawn toward? Do you enjoy backpacking, blogging, kayaking, data analysis, talking to people, etc. Your interests are the seeds to discovering the kind of thing you would enjoy being paid to do.

Also, when we’re seven years old it’s Ok to say you want to be an astronaut but when we grow up we forget to continue dreaming. You need to tap into your inner seven year old.

What do you find yourself dreaming about during the day? Even if you think it would be irresponsible and impossible to do, the key is to allow yourself the freedom to dream about the job and the life you want.

When you put all of these components together, you should have a pretty good idea of what you would rather be doing. The next step is putting together a plan to get to where you want to go.

You’ll be saying sayonara to that job you hate in no time.

Question: When you were seven years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

(If you liked the post [or not] leave a comment below. You’ll get a response from me.)

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