Everyone wants to be good at everything. Excelling at your work, being successful and fulfilled in your personal life, overcoming every obstacle that comes your way with ease – however, life is not so easy. People undoubtedly have vast differences in their personalities, skills, and competencies. Obviously, these differences are what make us who we are, but when it comes to strengths and weaknesses, no one wishes to have the latter. Weaknesses are subjective notions, but you can turn them around and use them to your advantage. Here are a few tips on how to turn them into strengths that will drive you forward.
Face your weaknesses
The first step in turning your weaknesses into your strengths is facing them. Be honest with yourself and identify the things you are lacking at. This might not be easy at first; your weaknesses might not be that straightforward. However, self-reflection is a necessary part of growth, so put your pride aside and face your less than presentable side head-on. You need to accept your weaknesses as yours as much as you accept your strengths. Only then will you be able to start working on them.
Change your perspective
Another incredibly important step in turning your weaknesses around is your perspective. As mentioned, weaknesses are a rather subjective notion. What may be a weakness in a situation can easily become an advantage in another. So, in this case, turning your weaknesses into strengths is merely about flipping a switch in your brain and changing the way you look at yourself and things around you. Even just describing your weaknesses with a synonym that has a more positive connotation can help you change how you view these attributes of yours. For instance, you might view your irresponsibility as a weakness, but considering it as adventurousness puts it in a different light. Similarly, stubbornness can be considered persistence with a little bit of attitude change. Think about how you could adjust your approach to be associated with these positive words instead.
Continue developing your skills
It’s very important not to be complacent with yourself. Your determination to turn your weaknesses into strengths is already a great step towards self-improvement. However, you also need to take action. If you are not satisfied with some of your skills, then work on developing them! Instead of shying away from opportunities because you find yourself inadequate for them, bravely take on the challenges that come your way and leave your comfort zone from time to time. It will allow you to practice your skills and we all know there is no improvement without practice. What’s more, be sure to actively seek out opportunities for improvement. Participate in that contest you never had the confidence to do so. Let your voice be heard at the next meeting. You might find that some of your weaknesses were self-imposed because of a lack of confidence.
Seek out advice
No matter how objective we are, evaluating ourselves is still not the same as others evaluating us. This is why it’s a great idea to seek out advice from someone you trust. People have different experiences so they might be able to point you in the right direction when confronted with a challenge. They might also help you realize what you couldn’t see by yourself and identify your weaknesses. This person can be a friend, a family member, a trusted colleague, or even a professional. Always contact professionals for help. Wellbeing organisations can really help individuals to move beyond their hangups and holdbacks. In fact, it might be a good idea to consider turning to a life coach to get to the bottom of your issues and free yourself of your limitations that hinder your growth.
Learn to compensate
Finally, you should learn the art of compensation. You probably won’t be able to magically eliminate all of your weaknesses. However, that does not mean that you cannot work around them still. You can simply compensate for what you lack with the help of tools. For instance, if you’re forgetful, find a good organization app where you can keep all your important reminders. Besides tools, you can also let other people make up for your weaknesses. If you’re not qualified for something, it’s a better idea to find someone who can help you than to waste your time and energy trying to do it yourself. Whether at your workplace or in your personal life, finding people who can make up for your weaknesses is a recipe for success.
Accepting that you simply cannot be good at everything is the first step towards identifying your weaknesses and turning them to your advantage. No one is perfect, nor should they be. Work on what you can and find ways to compensate for what you can’t.