What do successful people actually do with their weaknesses?
That is a question worth pondering. If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that people who are truly successful don't shy away from their weaknesses. In fact, they are alright sharing them.
As a leader (which I believe you are), it will actually inspire those around you if they see you succeed in spite of your weaknesses. It will give them the courage to be better as well as to press on.
To help you figure things out, here's how to maximize your potential.
Why peace is essential
You don't have to feel like you are climbing uphill as you work on maximizing your potential. You can actually get a sense of peace when you come to terms with a skill that doesn't come naturally to you. It will help you attain the patience needed to make progress.
With that feeling of frustration off of your shoulders, you can focus more on how you can start working on your goal.
How weaknesses trump strengths
Your weaknesses can teach you more about how to work with people and the importance of cooperation. It's also a place where growth can feel very rewarding.
The right relationship with your weaknesses will allow you to focus more energy on maximizing your potential. Essentially, you'll be able to achieve success faster when you are able to do this. In addition to figuring out what you are not good at by the process of elimination, you'll be able to know what you are really good at.
Remember, focusing solely on your strengths can be detrimental to you. You might miss out on the opportunity to grow.
How to handle reaching a plateau with a weakness
Investing in things you are naturally good at should not be an excuse to avoid things that don't come naturally to you. Bear in mind, however, that when you do invest in improving on a weakness, you are likely to hit a plateau.
So, what do you do?
This is where you change things up. Changing your approach can raise the ceiling in your area of assumed weakness.
As Gary Keller, in his #1 bestseller book entitled The One Thing, said, “Natural ability can only take us so far before we hit our achievement ceiling. Models and Systems will help you break through that ceiling of achievement.”
You may never be a world-class lumberjack, but a chainsaw will take you further than an axe. Trying a new approach may be what you need.
A University of Florida basketball player, Canyon Barry, used an unconventional underhand free throw style to hit 42 shots in a row, setting a school record.
You might not look cool to some using a different approach to raise the ceiling of a weakness, but who cares. Just keep hitting your own free throws.
Just because it doesn’t come naturally to you doesn't mean it’s a weakness
Most things don't come naturally. They need to be learned. If you are struggling, maybe the issue is with your learning and not your innate ability.
This is where a growth mindset (believing that most basic abilities can be developed) over a fixed mindset (believing that things like intelligence or talent are fixed traits) really makes a huge difference.
As Carol S. Dweck said in her book, Mindset, “In the growth mindset, experiencing difficulty simply indicates the need to put in more effort. In the fixed mindset, difficulty means you do not have the ability.”
A reader who wrote to her also commented the following:
“We should be careful not to view failure as a proof of stupidity but rather as a lack of knowledge, skill or experience which can all be remedied”
Can you raise the ceiling of that assumed weakness with a different learning approach and mindset? Think about it.
The one thing worse than a weakness
The real thing that is going to hold you back is your bad habits. I believe that is the one thing that's likely to determine your success. It's not hard to see how bad habits can dampen your strengths and amplify your weaknesses.
A key element to embracing our weakness is facing those accompanying bad habits head on. It will not only help you raise the ceiling on a weakness, but it's likely to boost your strengths, too.
Ready to maximize your potential?
It doesn't feel good to know you are living below your potential. Mediocrity is not a crown to be worn proudly. Although it's true that some things don't come naturally to you, it doesn't mean that they have to hold you back.
Freely admit your weaknesses and be transparent with them. Embrace the peace that comes with that decision and don't be afraid to ask for help. If you feel like your progress is slowing down, it's when you change things up. Just believe that you can raise the ceiling of that weakness.
Be sure to kick those bad habits and just go maximize your potential!