Using Your List of Gifts & Talents

A List of Things You Are Great At

"Okay, so once I have this list of my gifts and talents, what do I do with it?" I asked Star, curious as to what she would say.

"Well, that's a good question. Let me ask you one in return. If you had a list of the things you were great at, what would you do with it?"

" A list of things I am Great at?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Celebrate? No. I don't know. I can't even imagine such a list, let alone what I would do with it." I answered.

Okay. Fair enough. How would such a list make you feel?"

"About ten feet tall," I answered. "Or like I had won the local lottery." Hmm. Maybe I wasn't that far off about the therapist's couch. This was gettin' a bit touchy, feelie.

"So why would it make you feel that way? What about your life would be different?" Star asked gently.

"Well," I replied. "I would know more about myself. Something valuable. Useful. Heck, knowing what you are great at would be pretty awesome."

"And what about your life might change?" she asked.

"Well, I might want to do something different ... with my life ... or my job. If I knew what I was great at, I might want to change jobs, go after something I love to do instead of just earning a paycheck."

"See, you do have an idea what you might use the list for ... Take a look at this list of ideas and see if it makes sense to you." Star handed me a piece of paper with ideas.

Search For Work You Love

You can use your list to start reviewing job ads, career descriptions and business concepts.

Look for work where you can develop and use your gifts and talents.
Seek out jobs where you get to spend most of your day using your top skills, sensitivities and areas of awareness and knowing.
Look for jobs that offer you the best growth opportunities as your skill level improves.
Identify the professions and trades that place a high value on your gifts and talents.

Evaluate Job Offers & Opportunities

You could also use your list of gifts and talents to ...

Evaluate which job lets you spend the most time using your gifts and talents.
Consider which ones offer you the best "soft benefits" ... paying you to develop your gifts and talents and helping you build your portfolio of skills and experience.
Identify the top offers by looking at which ones want you to more fully develop your natural abilities.

Create Compelling Resumes and Cover Letters

And to go job hunting, and find the right job for you, you might want to use your list to ...

Highlight your top gifts and talents in your work history as well as a skills list.
List your underdeveloped or underused skills in the objectives statement or cover letter to indicate your interest in using them more.

Select Vocational Training

And if you are not yet ready to look for a job, maybe you can use it to prepare for your next career by using your list to ...

Pick classes which help you develop your talents, tap into your gifts and gain hands on experience using your natural abilities as well as theoretical knowledge.
Evaluate schools, college majors, vocational programs, apprenticeships and internships based on which ones will most help you develop your gifts and talents in a useful, practical and employable way.

Start Creating Business Ideas

And if you dream of being your own boss someday, you could use your list to ...

Start planning ahead by looking at the services and goods you could provide that will reward you for using your gifts and talents.
Look for and evaluate business opportunities by how well they match your gifts and talents list, so you choose a business you can excel at.

"Does that make sense to you?" Star asked.

I nodded agreement. It made a lot of sense ... and cents turns into dollars.

"What's next?" I asked

to be continued

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