The BrandProv Blog

“Train yourself to focus on your strengths or fear will keep you focused on your weaknesses.” – No clue who said it but I love it!

It’s easy to get fixated on wrong with you. 

You can probably agree that you are your biggest critic.

No one can be any harder on you than you are on yourself.

Some things you may hear yourself say on the regular are things like:

• God I need to lose weight!
• I need to listen more.
• Why am I so impatient?
• I should be less judgmental.
• Why did I eat that cookie?
• I was just a total a jerk to the guy at Target.
• Why did I cut that guy off?

Then you immediately beat yourself up about all the ways you suck until you feel like total crap and a horrible human being.

You then vow to work on what makes you suck, until you don’t suck anymore at it.

You imagine yourself sort of floating through life on this perfect little cloud being a total angel every day.  

Ok … insert a very loud record scratch here. 

Both you and I know that is NOT reality. 

There is no such thing.  And if there was, good lord it would be a booooring world.

Every breathing human being has weaknesses. 

Even rock stars, and athletes, and celebrities, and best selling authors, and millionaires.  

The big thing to be aware of … is that those who “make it” … those who “live the dream” … those who you “admire” … They do one thing different than everyone else.

They know the secret sauce.

They don’t focus on what’s wrong with them … where they are weak. 

Yes, they are aware of their weaknesses, but they don’t waste any of their hustle there.

They go all in and hustle hard on their strengths.

Then they sit back and get paid for it.  

So what is it that you dominate at?

Here is an exercise to get you thinking:

1. Right now … get out a sheet of paper and set the timer on your phone for 10 minutes. 
2. Make a list of everything that you are good at. 
   • What do you do that makes you come alive?
   • What do people constantly tell you that you rock at?
   • What do you find yourself doing even when you don’t have to?
3. Free write.  Flow.  No rules.  Play on paper.
4. When the timer is up … look at the list and circle 1-2 things that jump out at you the hardest.

These are the strengths you need to be focusing on. 

Getting pen to paper here is a huge game changer. 

The words and ideas on your paper are the things you need to be paying attention to.

How can you do more of this stuff?  How can you incorporate these strengths into your daily work?  Your personal life?

Take these strengths you have identified and go ALL in the next few weeks, months, or year. 

See what changes for you. 

The bottom line is this: Stop focusing on what’s wrong with you.  What you need to do better at.

Focus on what makes you rock.

Then … go hustle on that.