Part 1
Reflecting on Yourself
1
Open your mind to all paths. Because you are likely
blind to what some of your talents really are, a good place to start
when evaluating your talents is to just open your mind to the
possibilities. Keep in mind that talents extend beyond just playing the
guitar or dancing like a pro. Talents come in all shapes and sizes and
extend into many areas of life.
2
Look back on your past. As you reflect on yourself in
search of your talents, start by looking at your past. Look at the
things that you've done. Look at the things you've enjoyed. Look at the
times when you really excelled. Ask yourself questions like "What am I
most proud of that I've done?" or "When was I so proud that I didn't
care what anyone thought?"
- One good thing to think about was what your childhood was like. What did you do a lot as a kid? What did you enjoy? What were you known for? Sometimes this can reveal some of our deepest talents and certainly will reveal interests that can be probed further.Think about your hobbies as your personality is made by them they are the things you do regularly and your hidden talent is that which you can do better than everyone so focus on your hobbies and how you do them every single step.
- Another thing you can think about are the times in your life that you've been challenged. Think about the tough situations that you've had to deal with. Times of trial can often reveal our hidden skills. For example, when your dad had a heart attack, maybe you kept your head and called 911. Staying alert and calm in an emergency is a really useful talent.
3
Think about what you enjoy. The things that make you
happy can also reveal your talents. Think about the things that you love
to do. Do people ever give you compliments on it? Do they ever ask for
your help with it? You might not think of it as a talent but it probably
is.
- Do you ever completely lose track of time? You start doing something and you just don't even notice time passing? This might hint at your talent.[1] For example, maybe you get lost when you're modding your favorite video game. This might be one of your talents.
- Listen to how you talk. Do you ever find yourself rambling to your family or your best friend about this subject that means so much to you? This might be another hint at a talent you have.
4
Evaluate what you're good at. Now, there's a big
difference between what you enjoy and what you're good at. You might
think of your talents only being things that you love doing, but it's
important to remember that our talents are often things we don't enjoy
or things we don't even think about. This is why it's important to take a
long hard look at what you're actually good at.
- Think about things that come naturally to you. Things you don't struggle with. Do you ever find yourself telling someone, "Nevermind, it's easier if I do it" or "Here, let me help you with that"? Do you find yourself correcting people? These behaviors usually indicate something that you're good at and know a lot about.
5
Think about times you were successful. Look back on
your life and think about times where you really succeeded, times where
you felt about to burst with the pride of your success. This can
indicate a talent you possess.
- For example, maybe you helped your boss rearrange and reorganize his office and helped things at your work run so much more smoothly. Organization is a very useful talent.
6
Write the story of your life. This exercise can help
you reveal not only the talents that you have but also talents that you
should consider developing. Write about what you were like as a kid,
what you liked to do before and after school, what your favorite
subjects were. Write about growing up. Write about where you're at in
your life now. Now, write about your future. Write about where you want
to go. Write about what you want people to say at your funeral.
- This exercise reveals your priorities and what you really think is important about yourself.
It can also reveal what you want for your life,
helping you focus on talents you should cultivate if you want to achieve
your dreams.
1
Ask around. Having an outside perspective, other
people may find it easier to see what you're good at. Ask around and
people will usually be happy to tell you what they see as your
strengths. Be sure to talk to people that know you well but also people
that barely know you. Both will see you in different ways and the
differences that they see can tell you even more about yourself.
Part 2
Experiencing Life
1
Open up time for new things. Your life needs to have
room for discovering your talents! If you spend all day on the couch
after school or work or you spend all of your waking weekend hours at
parties, then you're going to have very little time for self discovery.
Your talents will often lie in activities that you've not tried yet and
if you don't make time for those things, then you'll never expand beyond
what you are now.
- Think about how you spend your time right now. Consider your priorities and then find things that you can cut to make more time for new experiences.
2
Make "your" time. While other people can help you
find your talents, it's also important to take some time that's just for
you. Self discovery does require a lot of self reflection and if you're
spending all of your time watching movies with your friends, you
probably won't get the time you need to really understand yourself. Take
some quiet days that are just for you and spend them doing new
activities.
3
Build on your existing skills. You probably already
have some basic skills. Any skill that you possess can be turned into a
real talent, but you need to take the time to develop it and really work
on experiencing all of the different activities that go in to that
talent. You might have experienced only a small aspect of a possible
talent and you will need to experience much more if you really want to
cultivate it.
For example, let's say that you're pretty good at interior design. You
certainly made your room looks pretty nice. Well, try developing that
skill into a full talent. Study up on interior design, mess around with
computer programs for interior design, and cultivate an awesome
Pinterest. By investing in this skill and exploring it further, you can
develop your minor skill into a talent.
1
Try things you would never have tried before.
Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can't do things. Maybe we think
we're not good enough or not smart enough. Most often we see ourselves
as "not that kind of person". But the thing is that you don't know
you're that kind of person until you start becoming that person. You
have to give life a chance to surprise you. You're much more incredible
and interesting than you give yourself credit for. Take a risk and try
something totally different than anything you've ever tried before.
For example, try rock climbing. Try scuba diving.
Write a book. Start a business. These kinds of things take work but for
many, they are at the very essence of who they are. It's a good idea to
try to factor in things you already know you can do well. For example,
you know that you like hanging out with little kids. From this you can
say that you probably have a fun, easy-going nature. This means you
might excel at work with animals, which is similar and requires some of
the same underlying traits.
1
Take classes in subjects that interest you. If
there's a subject that interests you and you think you might want to
develop it into a talent, consider taking a class. Getting more
information and finding out what the experience would really be like can
tell you if it's really something you could have a talent for. It also
will help you get the basic skills needed to start developing your
talent if you decide it's something that you want to do.
- You can take online classes for free from websites like Coursera and University of the the People, if you don't have access to education resources. If you do have money and time to devote to a class though, try your local community and technical colleges, as well as your local community center.
2
Travel to expand your experiences. Traveling is one
of the most impactful experiences you can have. It will challenge you
and teach you more about yourself than you thought possible. However,
you can't just take the easy route and go on a cruise or guided trip. Go
on your own. Go somewhere different from anywhere you've ever been.
Immerse yourself in the experience. Try new things. You'll find yourself
struggling in some areas but you'll also find that there are other
activities that you can do with ease or that make you really happy.
- Traveling can seem expensive but it really depends on where you go, when, and what you do. It doesn't have to be an expensive experience. You can also travel a little more close to home and get the same sort of benefits. For example, if you're from the US, try going out into the Canadian countryside or a backpacking trip in Mexico.
3
Take on challenges. When we have to struggle, when
we're removed from our usual comfortable environment, is when we learn
the most about ourselves. When you shut yourself off to challenges by
just sticking to a quiet life and never leaving the house, or even
backing out when times get tough or running from your problems, you deny
yourself the chance to shine. Let challenges happen, try to tackle your
problems, and get out and live life a bit more so that you have the
chance to conquer challenges that you encounter.
- For example, your grandma might get sick and need help. Try helping her out. You might find that you're really good at connecting with and helping the elderly.
4
Volunteer to help shift your perspective. In
experiencing just your own life and your own world, it's easy to have
your mind closed to the possibilities: the possibilities of what you are
and the possibilities of what you could be. When you help others in
significant and impactful ways, you'll find that you see yourself in a
new light. Your priorities will change. You might even get the chance to
shine in a talent you didn't even know you had, or build a new talent
through the work you do.
- For example, local parks departments often need help removing invasive plants or in building new structures like playgrounds. You can volunteer and you might find that you're good at identifying plants, woodworking, reading building plans, or organizing or motivating people.
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