Do You Know What Sets You Apart?

The word success has such a strong connotation associated with it, like Scrooge McDuck rolling around in piles of money or busy businessmen who make bucketloads of cash but miss their kid's piano recital because they got caught up at the office. The mission of Success Your Way is to flip that definition on its head. As our name states, we want to teach women to define success for themselves and set goals that are aligned with the kind of lives they want to live and the kind of people they want to be.

One of the most important factors in your success is understanding how to lean into your strengths. That, of course, requires you to know what your strengths are. For some people, it may be difficult to sit down and consider their strengths. Talking about what sets you apart from others may even feel arrogant. But, I assure you, with this information, it will be much easier to create a successful life. Plus, when you lean into your strengths, it leaves room for you to form partnerships with others who have the strengths you lack.

So, in true Success Your Way style, I've created some journaling prompts to guide you through this personal inventory process. Grab a pen and some paper, and let's get started.

List 10 things you love about yourself.

I urge you to sit with this one for a bit before you start writing. It's easy to start a list of things you think other people like about you, but that's not the question. Take a few moments a jot down some things YOU love about YOU.

List 5 things you do easily that are harder for other people.

Have you ever received positive feedback on your work and thought, "oh, that little thing? That's nothing." That's a great place to start. The things you naturally excel at often don't feel special to you because they're easy. 

Of the 15 things you've listed, choose 5 strengths you can focus on to build your confidence.

You can't and won't be all things to all people. The more diffuse your value across areas that are not your expertise, the harder it is to grow. When you carve away the excess and focus on developing your skill in your areas of greatest strength, you'll find yourself working from a place of joy and contentment.

If this exercise was difficult or uncomfortable, you've likely spent too much time looking outward and not enough time looking inward. Your ability to witness and hone in on your strengths will be the foundation of your success. If you want to build a comfortable, authentic, AND fruitful life, you should first understand who you are and what you bring to the table.