Focus ... focus... focus... lift off!
Up is the only way your career can go - when you exploit your strengths to the full.
A simple message
A little girl is walking through the woods with her mother chanced upon a branch blocking their way. The girl's mother asked her to move the branch so they could continue their walk.
The daughter tried, then said: "But mum, it's too heavy." The mother added: "Use your strength, dear."
The girl tried again. But it was no use. "It's too heavy," she pleaded with her mother.
"You tried so very hard, dear," said the mother. "But you never used all your strength. You see, you could have asked me for help."
The message of the story is simple: don't focus on your weaknesses, but your strengths.
Define your goals
To help you do that, define the following points for yourself:
1. Your strengths. These include personal, professional, experiential and educational plus points.
2. Your weaknesses. Consider all your real and perceived weaknesses.
3. Your top five goals in life. List them in order of importance.
4. Your commitments. Your commitments to family, finance, and relationships.
5. Your dreams. Your most ideal personal achievements if time, money, status and upbringing were no question.
Now, meld all five points into an Action Plan and stick to it!
Act on the plan!
Devote 80 to 90per cent of your time using your strengths and only 10 to 20 per cent fixing your weaknesses.
Here are eight steps to help you devise your Action Plan.
1. Appraise your own skills. How best do you relate to others?
2. Be kind to yourself. Don't compare yourself with others.
3. Be positive. If you can't, get out of the business.
4. Exercise for energy. Exercising keeps your mind alert and your body healthy.
5. Network and grow your business. Hand out the calling cards!
6. Develop your religious faith. Faith is an incredible source of strength.
7. Look to your experience. We often look at what we don't have instead of what we already have.
8. Love what you do and focus on what you love.
The key in using all your strengths is to analyse, interpret and act upon them. We can do so much more for our careers of we only apply all our strengths!
Source: Michael Podolinsky, seminar leader with Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). 7 Feb 2000
A simple message
A little girl is walking through the woods with her mother chanced upon a branch blocking their way. The girl's mother asked her to move the branch so they could continue their walk.
The daughter tried, then said: "But mum, it's too heavy." The mother added: "Use your strength, dear."
The girl tried again. But it was no use. "It's too heavy," she pleaded with her mother.
"You tried so very hard, dear," said the mother. "But you never used all your strength. You see, you could have asked me for help."
The message of the story is simple: don't focus on your weaknesses, but your strengths.
Define your goals
To help you do that, define the following points for yourself:
1. Your strengths. These include personal, professional, experiential and educational plus points.
2. Your weaknesses. Consider all your real and perceived weaknesses.
3. Your top five goals in life. List them in order of importance.
4. Your commitments. Your commitments to family, finance, and relationships.
5. Your dreams. Your most ideal personal achievements if time, money, status and upbringing were no question.
Now, meld all five points into an Action Plan and stick to it!
Act on the plan!
Devote 80 to 90per cent of your time using your strengths and only 10 to 20 per cent fixing your weaknesses.
Here are eight steps to help you devise your Action Plan.
1. Appraise your own skills. How best do you relate to others?
2. Be kind to yourself. Don't compare yourself with others.
3. Be positive. If you can't, get out of the business.
4. Exercise for energy. Exercising keeps your mind alert and your body healthy.
5. Network and grow your business. Hand out the calling cards!
6. Develop your religious faith. Faith is an incredible source of strength.
7. Look to your experience. We often look at what we don't have instead of what we already have.
8. Love what you do and focus on what you love.
The key in using all your strengths is to analyse, interpret and act upon them. We can do so much more for our careers of we only apply all our strengths!
Source: Michael Podolinsky, seminar leader with Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). 7 Feb 2000