It’s Evan.
My one word is believe.
And I believe in people more than they believe
in themselves and my sincere hope is that if you see
in you, what I see in you, you’ll be able
to change the planet.
So to help you on your journey today,
I’m going to talk about the seven ways to discover
your strengths and weaknesses.
– [Introductory Music] Nine, eight, go.
– So the question I get asked a lot by different
entrepreneurs trying to figure out their path,
figure out where they’re going to go is,
“What am I good at? What am I strong at? What am I weak at?
“And how do I use that to build a successful business?”
So today I’m going to share with you my seven tips
on how to discover your strengths and weaknesses.
Tip number one is just think about what do you
have the most fun doing?
A lot of times we get too in our head,
we’re too analytical, we’re too data-oriented,
we’re too process-oriented and an easy way to step out of it
is to just think, “What do I enjoy doing?
“What do I have the most fun doing?
“What do I get lost in?”
We all have something that we can get lost in.
And now it is there’s no stupid answers
’cause you could turn almost anything into a career.
You know, 10 years ago, if you said that you wanted
to be a gamer, that wouldn’t have worked out.
You wouldn’t have been able to make money
as a professional gamer but now,
a lot of professional gamers are making more than
our parents made right?
If you’re a faker, or if you’re a double lift or
if you’re in the legal legend scene or the other games
as well, like you’re making some money.
And that is doable.
Another option.
If you like hanging out with your friends.
If you’re really people-oriented person,
that’s a strong strength.
That my lead you to a career in HR or a business
as a speaker or a business as a coach or consultant
with other people.
So just think about before trying to figure out
how it’s all going to make sense,
that’s what we always get caught up.
Before thinking about how does this turn into a perfect plan
for myself, just think about what can I get lost in?
What do I love doing?
If I didn’t have responsibilities, or the great
question, if I had all the money in the world,
what would I do with my time?
Yes, you’re going to travel.
Yes, you’re going to buy whatever.
You’re going to buy all this stuff.
Great.
You still have money left over.
You still have time in abundance.
What are you going to do?
‘Cause you’ll get sick of traveling.
You’ll get sick of buying stuff.
You’ll need to do something that has a little bit more
meaning to your life.
I promise you, you’d be saying, “No that’s not true”.
It’s true. It’ll happen.
So what would you do if you had that kind of money?
What would you do with your time?
And thinking about that, then allows you to think,
“Then okay, I really like those things”.
From there, you can pull out your strengths
and weaknesses.
Really making lists of the things that you can get
lost in and that you just love doing.
Step number two is think about what you daydream about.
So, it may not be what you’re doing right now,
but when you lie in bed about to pass out or when you
are in the shower thinking or when you’re walking
through nature going on a hike, or when you’re
traveling or lying on the beach or whatever it is
that you kind of get hit with some inspiration,
what do you daydream about doing?
Maybe, you’re not doing it yet, but you wish
you could do it.
You have these crazy dreams sometimes that I wish
I could be doing that or people you look up to.
When you think about what you daydream about,
again don’t make it practical yet.
Just write down a list of things that you wish you
could be spending your time on.
You wish you could be doing.
And then, I would try to find some small way
to actually start doing it.
The test to see if you like it,
To see if you’re good at it.
A lot of times, the grass is greener on the other side.
A lot of times, that thing that you want to do,
once you start doing it, is way too much work and not
what you thought it was going to be.
And you don’t want to do it anymore.
But sometimes, when you do it, it’s like, “I love this.
“I want to keep doing it”.
So, you never know, until you get started.
I never thought I’d be a salsa dancer.
I never thought I would run a salsa school,
invest and buy it.
I’d never thought that’d be part of my plan.
I’m tall, I didn’t speak Spanish.
You know, I take big steps.
I didn’t learn the music growing up.
It’s all on paper, there’s all the reasons why
it would never work out for me as a salsa dancer
but I just loved it and I went to a class.
I wanted to go back.
I wanted to do it again.
I wanted to do it again.
Same thing as YouTube videos.
My first videos sucked.
They really were bad.
But I liked it.
I liked the process.
I wanted to do it again.
And I wanted to do it again.
I wasn’t getting any results.
I wasn’t getting any comments, no views, no shares,
nothing.
I just loved it so I had to do it again and again and again.
And so, instead of making it some big plan on what
you want to do with your life;
that can seem overwhelming.
That can seem depressing.
It’s upsetting because you don’t have clarity.
I would just think about the things
that you have some daydreams about.
That you wish you could do and then find,
some small way to get started.
Just hit that little bit of the pyramid
instead of just thinking about it as this huge project,
just this little thin wedge,
this little tiny piece to test it.
To say “yes” to one thing.
You could say “yes” to going to try rock climbing
without having to become a professional rock climber.
You could say “yes” to going out on a date
with one girl to see how it works out,
without having to get married to her.
Right?
So say “yes”. Try it.
The thing you have in your mind, find some small way
to get started.
And then you’ll see if you enjoy it
and if your strengths come out.
Tip number three is think about what do you do
differently than others?
You are a strange duck in some respects.
You are not exactly like everybody else.
You’re not the same as all your other friends.
You are your own unique little snowflake.
And so, what is it that you do or the way that you think
that is just different than other people?
It’s an important question to ask because
a lot of times you may not see those things as strengths,
you may even see those things as weaknesses.
That because you’re different, you’re not good
like the other people are at this other thing.
But you see the world slightly differently
than other people do.
And where do you stand out compared to the people
around you?
And just asking that question, will pull out
some things that are very interesting.
So, for me, I’m very mission-driven.
I’m also very pragmatic.
I don’t really hang out a lot of times just going for beer,
and watching movies with friends.
A lot of times, there’s a purpose behind what I do.
There’s a purpose behind the conversations I have.
I don’t like dealing with small problems.
I want to look behind it to see the bigger cause
and go out and solve that big thing.
That could be a weakness in some social settings
but it’s also a strength for me in that it allows me
to build this business.
It allows me to build this movement.
It allows me to create great content
and videos for you guys.
And so just asking yourself, what do I do that’s different
than most people?
Again, without thinking about how it’s going to apply
practically down the road,
just what do I do that’s different?
Or what do I think about in a different way
than the people around me?
And make a list and though there you’ll be able to find
some of the what you might have thought were weaknesses
but could actually be strengths for your future career.
– So tip number four is be brutally honest with yourself.
All of us are so unique and we have different strengths
and weaknesses.
And sometimes, admitting to some of them could be really
embarrassing for us.
So for example, I’m an organizational disaster.
I don’t do well with organization at all.
Which is why I have to create structure around my life.
I have to schedule my days to do specific things
because if I don’t, I’m going to fall off track
and I’ll just find myself lying on the floor
staring at the ceilings, dreaming about
a brighter future.
The truth is that brighter future will never come
if I don’t do something about my organization.
That’s why I stick to my schedule as much as possible
and I only stray away from it when there’s something
urgent that needs to be taken care of.
And on the other side, I did not want to admit
that my strength is empathy.
Especially when I started out in the workforce
and I was up against all these alpha-males
and they’re like, “Oh, you’re such as woman.
“You just want to hold hands and hug people and feel
“where people are feeling”.
And I hid it inside of me for a long time.
And I took on personas that wasn’t even mine.
And then eventually, I admitted to myself.
Empathy is not only a strength for me, it’s my super power.
It allows me to feel what other people are feeling.
My mission is to help people.
What better way to help people
than feel what they’re feeling
and really understand what they’re going through?
I think most of us are aware of our strengths
and weaknesses.
The only thing you need to do is just be brutally
honest with yourself.
– Number five is use your friends as counselors
but not jailers.
So one of the things we tend to do when we don’t know
the answer to something, is we ask our friends.
And our friends can be a great window
into understanding us a little bit better.
Asking your friend what you think your strengths
and weaknesses are can give you a perspective
on yourself.
The thing is though, you have to be careful about it.
Because your friends see one side of you.
They see a certain side that maybe one friend
sees one side, another friend sees another side,
and there’s still a piece of you too that’s hidden,
that you haven’t shared with anybody,
that you just keep to yourself,
that you don’t want exposed.
And so, the positive of asking your friends
what you think you’re strengths and weaknesses are
is that you get some insight into you
and to that side that you are showing.
The negative side though is that because they only
see one aspect of you, that that becomes your jail cell.
That because this is how they see you,
you have to continue behaving only in that way
and going on those strengths and you’re missing this
whole other part that you’re not sharing.
And so, I’m always reluctant on any of these
personal development exercises and self-awareness,
because that is what it is.
It’s your self-awareness.
I’m always reluctant to go outside
and ask other people.
I think your time is better spent with yourself.
Spend more time with yourself than time with other people
if you want to understand yourself
because the answers are here, not out there.
But if you want to, it gives you a perspective.
So again, use your friends as counselors
but not as jailers.
You don’t have to live up to their expectations
or that one side of you
and spending some good time with yourself
to reflect, to write down, to spend time in nature,
to think about the whole you and
what you’re really good at and where you want to focus
is important.
Tip number six is ask yourself what do you hate doing?
Often the way to find what you’re good at,
is by thinking about what you’re not good at.
So just like in the process of your one word,
some people find it easier to find their one word,
their one most important core value,
by going positive, thinking about all the good
things in their life
and figuring out what their most important
core value is.
Some people can’t get down to it only going positive.
They find it better going opposite, going negative.
So think about the people who you can’t stand
being around.
What values do they have?
What’s just like toxic to you?
You can’t stand being around these kinds of people.
Or being in these kinds of situations.
And by figuring out that, that’s your anti-word,
you can figure out your one word.
And so think about what you hate doing.
Think about what other people may like doing,
the people around you, they enjoy doing
but for you it’s like, “I can’t believe
“people like doing that”.
What would you absolutely hate spending your time on
every single day?
And that gets you to a list of weaknesses
and the opposite will be what you’re really good at.
So what is the thing that you absolutely hate doing
and then what’s the exact opposite of that?
Chances are, that’s where you should be playing.
And tip number seven is just say “Yes” more.
If you have no idea what your passion is,
If you have no idea what your strengths
and your weaknesses are, just say “yes” more.
When someboody invites you to do something,
don’t immediately judge it and say,
“Well this is not going to be for me”.
Say “yes”. Try it. See if you want to go back.
See if you want to do it again.
See if it sparked anything.
We talked about not putting up so much pressure on it
being the perfect thing
and making it some big, huge project and it has to
work out.
But also just exposing yourself to more things,
exposing yourself to opportunities
that maybe your parents wouldn’t agree with
or maybe it wasn’t a part of your culture,
but it’s still kind of curious for you.
If something hits on your radar and say,
“Hmm, that’s interesting” or a friend comes
and tells you, “I want you to come out to this thing”,
at least try it once.
It’s good to adopt the mentality of to try
almost anything.
You know within reason.
Once.
Try new foods once.
Try a new club once.
Try a new activity once.
Try a new kind of movie once.
If you’ve tried it and it doesn’t work out, great.
You know, you don’t have to do it again.
But at least, trying it once.
Because I think most of the time we discount so many things
that we’ve never even tried.
We’re judging things we’ve never even spent
any amount of time on
and then you just constantly live in this narrow lane.
And that’s probably not even the best path for you.
There’s some path way out here that you don’t even
know you should be on because you never bothered
expanding your horizon.
So if you feel lost, if you feel like you don’t know
what you’re strengths and your weaknesses are,
if you like you don’t know what you’re passionate about,
then try multiple things at least once say “yes”
to a lot of things and if it doesn’t work, great.
Kill it.
You don’t have to make a lifelong commitment
to being a salsa dancer.
If you go to a class, you don’t like it,
but at least say “yes” once.
Try it.
See if it’s for you.
See if you want to go back.
Expand that reach, say “yes” once to almost anything
and through that process, you’ll discover your passion,
your strengths and your weaknesses.
So those are my seven tips on how to discover
your strengths and weaknesses.
I’d love to know what do you guys think?
What was your favorite tip?
What’s most relevant to you?
Resonated the most?
Leave it down in the comments below.
Did I miss an eight, nine, ten that you want to add
to the list?
Leave in the comments.
I’m really curious to find out.
And also if you’re commenting within the first
couple of hours of this video going live,
then you have a chance to win one of our two
daily prizes.
Now I made this vide because Kami Ragan asked me to.
So if there’s a topic you would like me to cover
in a future seven ways video, check out the link
in the description.
You can go cast your vote, you can vote on other
people’s topics or come up with your own.
And maybe you’ll get lucky and we’ll profile it soon.
I also want to give a quick shout out to Hugo Beyer.
Hugo, thank you so much for picking up a copy
of my book “Your One Word” and taking that picture
and sending it to me.
I’m curious what you’re looking at.
Something on the ceiling.
Something happening up there.
I want to know next time but thank you again
for posting.
I really appreciate the support and I hope you enjoyed
the book.
Thank you guys again for watching.
I believe in you.
I hope you continue to believe in yourself
and whatever your one word is, much love.
I’ll see you soon.
”
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