When asked about your strengths, you may flash on the practical things you do well. We tend to lump our strengths into the areas of life that are predominant. Areas like-
- Home
- Family
- Career
Our strengths certainly help us succeed in our homes, with our families, and at work, but you have strengths in every area of life.
There aren’t a lot of occasions when our strengths are front and center in conversations. Under most circumstances, strengths are shared when we are competing for admission to a school or program, applying for employment, or part of team building exercises. It’s normal to focus on strengths under these circumstances and emphasize them. Outside of these types of situations, we may not spend a whole lot of time highlighting our strengths.
Career-Based Strengths Have Value
The strengths you possess in the workplace may be some of the most valuable. That’s because our careers produce income which drives most of our on and off-duty life. Being a superstar at work increases your earning potential and the ability to be recognized and rewarded for your contributions. While the list of valuable professional strengths can be quite long, some of the most common professional strengths are-
- Conflict resolution
- Dependability
- Discipline
- Leaderships qualities
- Communication skills
- Technical skills
- Determination
- Teamwork
- Time management
Personal Strengths Add Value Everywhere
While celebrating career-based strengths can increase your net worth, you have strengths in every area of life. Some strengths go unnoticed because they aren’t celebrated like professional strengths are. That doesn’t make them any less valuable.
Oftentimes the things you do well in one area of life translate to other areas. This means if you are disciplined and have great communication skills at work, you likely have them at home with your family and friends too.
Some strengths are technical. You may be a great cook, wonderful gardener, or talented painter. Other strengths are more subtle and translate to how people feel when they are in your presence. You may be great at comforting people when they are anxious or great at encouraging people to be their best.
It’s important to consider the wide variety of strengths you have and celebrate them. You have strengths in every area of life, spend time reflecting on them and remind yourself of their value. They are an important part of the unique contribution you make to your family, friends, and community.
