Alright, so the other day, I decided to actually sit down and do one of those identifying strengths worksheets. I know, I know, sounds a bit like homework, but I’d been feeling a bit, well, stuck, you know? Like I was just going through the motions and not really playing to whatever good cards I might have in my hand.
So, I found a pretty straightforward worksheet online. Didn’t want anything too complicated, just something to get me thinking. I printed it out – yeah, old school, I like having paper I can scribble on. Poured myself a coffee, sat down at the kitchen table, and thought, “Okay, let’s give this a proper go.”
The first part was easy enough. It asked about things I enjoy, activities where I lose track of time. That was fine, I jotted down a few things like tinkering with old gadgets, getting lost in a good book, and surprisingly, organizing my messy shed. Don’t judge!
Then it got a bit trickier. It started asking stuff like:
- What do others compliment you on?
- What tasks do you learn quickly?
- When do you feel most energized or “in the zone”?
- What kind of problems do people naturally come to you to solve?
This is where I really had to pause and think. For the compliments part, I had to cast my mind back. My mate Dave always says I’m good at explaining complicated stuff simply. My sister often says I’m patient, especially when tech goes wrong for her. Little things, but I wrote them down.
The “energized” part was interesting. I realized I get a real buzz from figuring out why something isn’t working and then fixing it. Or when I’m helping someone understand something new, and you see that lightbulb moment for them. That’s pretty cool.
The real work, though, was connecting the dots. I started seeing patterns. Like, the “explaining things simply” and “helping people understand” – that’s basically communication, right? And the “fixing things” and “patience with tech” – that points to problem-solving and maybe a bit of technical aptitude I hadn’t really given myself credit for.
It wasn’t like some massive revelation dropped from the sky. It was more like shining a torch into a dimly lit room. I started to see things that were always there, but I hadn’t paid much attention to them or labelled them as actual “strengths.” For example, I’m apparently quite good at just getting on with things, being dependable. Never thought of that as a strength, more just… doing my bit.
By the end of it, after about an hour of scribbling and thinking, I had this list. Some of it was stuff I kind of knew, but seeing it written down, all in one place, made it feel more concrete. And a few things were genuine surprises, or at least things I’d massively undervalued.
So, what did I do with it? Well, it hasn’t magically changed my life overnight. But it has made me a bit more conscious of where my natural talents might lie. I’m trying to lean into those things a bit more, both at work and in my hobbies. It also gave me a bit of a confidence boost, to be honest. It’s nice to have a clearer idea of what you bring to the table.
So yeah, that was my little experiment with the strengths worksheet. Not as scary as it sounds, and actually pretty useful. Definitely got me thinking, which is always a good thing, I reckon.
