Outside of the job interview, how do you answer the question: “What are your greatest strengths?”. Can you put aside rehearsed answers? Do you really know where you add value?

If you’re not certain, you’re not alone. Everyone has unique abilities but understanding and leveraging them isn’t always easy. Often, we spend so much time looking outward—dealing with day-to-day obligations and juggling responsibilities—that we forget to look inward.

Despite the effort involved, understanding your strengths is well worth the effort. If you know where you excel, you can then leverage those talents and positively transform your performance. So, how’s that done? 

Reflect on these five questions to discover your strengths:
    1. What do you know?
    2. Where have you excelled?
    3. What comes naturally?
    4. What separates you from others?
    5. How do others see you?

Your strengths are what make you stand out.  They can be a natural part of your personality or they can be aptitudes you’ve learned over time.  Either way, to uncover your strengths, ask yourself - “How do I see me, and how do others see me?”

Once you’ve uncovered your strengths, how can you use them to your advantage? First, reflect on what you’re currently doing. What’s working? What isn’t? Then, consider how you can redesign your habits to utilize and build on your strengths.

As Tim Ferriss wrote, “You don’t succeed because you have no weaknesses, you succeed because you find your unique strengths and focus on developing habits around them.”

Snippets of Encouragement:
Developing your strengths takes time.  The process is a journey that requires ongoing work.  So, make those daily reflections a habit. Continue to think about how you can better use your strengths and stay persistent – because practice makes perfect.