Your sweet spot is “where your greatest strength and your greatest passion intersect,” according to Ken Coleman, host of the EntreLeadership Podcast and author of One Question. I love the depiction Ken paints of finding our sweet spots in life – the elusive grail so many of us long for.
When we aren’t operating from our sweet spots, we can end up frustrated and miserable. We’re frustrated when our enthusiasm doesn’t match our abilities. It’s like when I first learned to play tennis. I was awful because I didn’t have the skills to be good at it.
Then there are those people who are absolutely killing it in their jobs, but hate the work. Despite their levels of success or acclaim, they’re miserable. No offense to folks who work the check out lines- I really appreciate what you do – but, it wasn’t for me. I balanced the right amount of banter with lightning fast barcode scanning to hit performance numbers, but I was miserable.
How To Locate Your Sweet Spot
In one of the few episodes I’ve watched of the television series The Amazing Race, contestants were trying to locate treasure chests containing their next clue on a beautiful sandy island. The catch was that they had to use a nautical compass and a shovel to dig up their clue. Several teams struggled to use the tools they had to find the buried treasure. Trying to find our sweet spots can be a lot like this.
But, it doesn’t have to be. The best performers find their sweet spots and so can you. You simply need to do your homework and uncover the point at which your strengths and passions collide. Here are 3 simple assignments to help you locate your sweet spot.
#1: Assess Your Strengths
Research is clear: when we are intentional in working from our strengths we are energized, we perform better and are overall happier people. Utilizing our strengths to find our sweet spots makes perfect sense. Here’s a couple places to get you started:
VIA Institute – The world’s largest database on character strengths provides you with a report of 24 Character Strengths that are timeless and valued across cultures. Taken by 2.6 million people from over 190 countries to date. Also, it is FREE. Take it here.
Strengths Finders 2.0 – Clifton’s legendary publications focus more on strengths in the workplace and provide you with your top 5 strengths. This assessment has been taken by over 10 million people and will cost you $10 for your top 5 and $90 for all 34 strengths. Take it here.
Make a list – This is your DIY component. Grab a pen and write out as many of your strengths as possible. Focus on individual and interpersonal characteristics in both your personal and professional life.
Ask the people who know you best – Sometimes we overlook our best assets or dismiss them altogether. Avoid this trap and get other’s opinions. This information is golden!
#2: Investigate Your Passions
What gets your fired up? What activities do you lose yourself in? When does time seem to slip away from you? Your answers to questions like these will lead you to your passions. To investigate your passions, take a look in:
Your rear view mirror – Jon Acuff wrote in his book, Quitter, “More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades.” Pull out a few photo albums, yearbooks or journals. See what your past can tell you about your future.
Your heart – What are your values? These are the things that fuel and motivate you. They get you out of bed in the morning. What do you care about most in life and in the world? What would you fight or argue with someone over because you believe so strongly about it? Your answers will reveal your values, which inform your passions.
#3: Step Into the Intersection
Now comes the hard part. Just knowing where Scandinavia is on the map, doesn’t make you a local. You have to step into the intersection of your strengths and passions. If you want the life that comes with living in your sweet spot, you’ve got to go for it. Get in the game. Then enjoy the fruits of doing what you were created to do. Now that is life satisfaction! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Post these compilations of your greatest strengths and values somewhere you’ll see them every single day. I keep something similar by my bathroom sink and review it as I brush my teeth. The idea is to keep your sweet spot top of mind.
Establish 10 actions that stem from your strengths and values. If you have a gift of gab and enjoying meeting new people, perhaps you could attend 1 networking event each month. Turn your sweet spot into tangible actions you can take regularly to feed your passions and act on your values. I have strengths of curiosity, value growth and learning. An action I take is to read one book per month.
Be intentional in cultivating your sweet spot every day. This may mean identifying a new way to act on a strength this week at work. Or, scheduling time for a fun family activity this weekend to cultivate your value of family and adventure.
Avoid the frustrations and misery that ultimately ensue from drifting through life. Instead, act on these 3 assignments to locate your sweet spot and start living the life you’ve always wanted – engagement, excellence, fulfillment. I dare you.
Question: What is one action you can take to step into your sweet spot? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below this post.
Links:
- Article: Why You Need To Find Your Sweet Spot
- Book: One Question: Life Changing Answers from Today’s Leading Voices by Ken Coleman
- Book: Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff
- Link: VIA Classification of Character Strengths
- Link: StrengthsFinder 2.0 online assessment
- Post: Strengths: No Longer a Secret Sauce
- Post: Ignite Your Fire: Where to Look to Find Your Passion
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