Discovering Talent
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HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR TALENT
Your perception of yourself is very complex. Similar to how you cannot see your own nose, you may often be blinded to the things that you are best at. It can be really hard to identify your brightest talents and they are often in the places you least expect. You may even be very good at things that you perceive yourself as being bad at. There are many good reasons to want to explore your talents but it’s going to take a little work.
In Kenya, 99 percent of the Parents will offer their children to undertaken an ICT course as soon as they finish their KCSE and subsequently if funds are available a driving course. The question is and I have continued asking myself is what are the origins of the trend and secondly does it always add value to the candidates? We have also noted that most candidates end us seeking careers that their parents selected for them or popular courses that very bright student goes for. We have seen the top candidates also targeting/planning to undertake a course in Neuro-surgery.
In the following section we are giving seven step process that will help you identify your talent.
Step 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.
For example, being able to read emotions very accurately is a very useful talent BUT WHO KNOWS
Step 2: Look back on your past.
As you reflect on yourself in search of your talents, start by looking at your past and journal it accordingly. Look at the things that you’ve done and really enjoyed. Look at the times when you really excelled and 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 your 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 your hidden skills.
Step 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. For example, maybe you get lost when you are codding. This might be one of your talents.
Listen to how you talk. Do you ever find yourself ALWAYS talking to your family and friends about this subject that means so much to you? This might be another hint at a talent you have.
Write down everything that you enjoy. This will help you to see what things you truly enjoy doing and give you an opportunity to think about why you enjoy these things. For example, you might enjoy playing football or walking in nature. Doing these things may allow you to use the special knowledge that you have about these subjects.
Step 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 your talents are often things you don’t enjoy or things you 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, “Never mind, it’s easier if I do it” or “Here, let me help you with that”? Do you find yourself correcting people? These behaviours usually indicate something that you’re good at and know a lot about.
Step 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/parent rearrange and reorganize his office and helped things at your work run so much more smoothly. Organization is a very useful talent.
Step 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 favourite 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.
You may also want to write about what you would like to do with your time if money was not an issue. What activities would you most like to do if you did not have to worry about money? Considering this can help you to identify your interests and talents.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.
Step 7: 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.