“You must know the power of strengths to unlock your future.” You might be one of those who use Financial Freedom and Retirement loosely nowadays. We aspire to be released from the chains of our bosses and become the master of our own fate. Many individuals are even led to scrupulous gurus and mentors as they aspire to get “one good trade.” However, we fail to see the uniqueness in their own being. They must capitalize on what they are naturally good at than what takes so much of their energies to perform. To actualize your strengths, you must realize that you ought to know and accept who you really are and work on what you have.

Who Are You?

You must use various means to discover your true self to know who you really are. I believe that one of the most reliable tools available is CliftonStrengths. It is based on 34 Talent Themes that form the basis of what a person is naturally good at. It is important to note that a human being is a complex species. Hence, you should not use tools like CliftonStrengths to label a person with certainty or absoluteness. It is, however, interesting to know that CliftonStrengths allows you to achieve a level of self-awareness. You can use these strengths to consciously make your dominant talent themes  work for you than work against you. You must name these talent themes first as a step towards your self-discovery journey.

As you better understand what you are naturally good at, it is essential to own your dominant talent themes with certainty. You get energized with these dominant talent themes as you use them more often. Some people may refer to this as “the zone” or “the flow.” You do not seem to notice the time pass by, and you are constantly in a trance state. People who know their dominant talent themes use them to perform tasks at their peak performance when they turn their talents into strengths. Eventually, they claim these talent themes as their own to start action steps that will lead them into the zone.

Everyone Needs A Coach

It is, however, interestingly tricky for most individuals to constantly use their natural talent themes into strengths and applied to their jobs and tasks. Most often than not, they get distracted with mundane stuff such as the “successes” of other people or tend to compare themselves with other people’s progress. This event is a fatal flaw that a person can do to himself. He puts unnecessary pressure over his life and disregards the concept that each individual has their own life context and natural resources, to begin with. Aiming with precision is of utmost importance to avoid wasting valuable time. And for this reason, a CliftonStrengths Coach is essential.

A CliftonStrengths Coach helps you understand how to transform your usage of your dominant talent themes into mature ones and with direction. Of course, not all CliftonStrengths Coach will be of a match to you, as coaching is entirely built on trust. Hence, you have to first resonate with your coach for the entire journey to be seamless.

Benefits of a Coach

Here are some of my personal favorite reasons why a CliftonStrengths Coach boosts my life and career goals:

1. Unprecedented Depth. Getting a coach allowed me to see myself from a different perspective I could not have done independently. Blind spots, too much familiarity, and knee-jerk reactions lead to immature use of talent themes. They are not just considered “muda” (waste) but are also inefficiencies that do not only slow you down but slows other down too. From a quality assurance perspective, you can equate knowing yourself to understanding how you can use your ace cards alone or collaborate with others towards accomplishing a task.
2. Agility and Flexibility. A CliftonStrengths Coach ensures that you are up on your toes with your life goals and that you are on track with the action items in your timeline. With periodic self-reflection and personal evaluation, I learn to adapt to my journey’s circumstances and adjust my strategies accordingly. This clarity on my life context and my personal journey allows me to see alternative paths. I can also react as I see fit using my dominant talent themes.
3. Accountability. Accountability partners are increasingly common in trading, which serves as a best practice that any professional can execute on their own life stories and career progression. Thus, your ability to own your successes and shortcomings enables you to add new data points in your quest towards your life and career goals. A CliftonStrengths Coach will be there to help you see alternative paths. He also helps you realize your risks and opportunities and start owning your life decisions for better or worse.

Invest In Your Strengths, Now!

Everyone has a story to write on their own pages of their lives. You can choose the path of solitude to see your way towards your goal. You can also work with a CliftonStrengths Coach to help you create opportunities you have not focused on before. Whichever your decision, you have to ensure that you have no “what ifs” and keep enjoying this life journey without reservations.