092: Focus on your strengths

We're always taught to focus on our weaknesses and get better at those things. But what would happen if you gave equal attention to your strengths?

Episode transcript:

Good morning, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Thursday to you. If you've ever thought about what you didn't like about school or what you go back and use time that you wish you'd spent doing something else for, then, I think you're gonna love today's episode. Now, when I think about being back at school, one of the first things I think of is the teachers and all the subjects I didn't like. Now, me and maths, we just don't particularly get on in school. I loved English and history and I just loved stories and writing and I just could not get my head around things like algebra. I couldn't see the real world application. My maths teacher wouldn't give me a valid answer when I asked him what the point was. And also, he was a massive dream shitter.

Our personalities just clashed. He didn't like me, I didn't like him, but I was gonna damn well prove to him that I could get a good grade for GCSE maths. Now, on the other side of the spectrum, I adored my English teacher. She had so much faith in me. She told me that one day she's gonna see one of my books on the shelves and buy it. And that was a place that I really thrived. But the problem with our school system is that we are taught so much to concentrate on our weaknesses and build them up rather than building on our strengths. And that's what I really want to challenge today, because I think we take that so much into other areas of our life, way beyond leaving school.

I look back now and I think, what if I just spent all those hours where I was working on algebra and just determined to prove this guy wrong? What if I spent that time actually focusing on the things I was good at and the things that really lit me up? I could have actually spent that time getting that one step closer to my English teacher being able to buy a book. Because maybe I could have used that time to actually develop an idea and really get into my creative practice and really just dive into that. The truth is, there are always going to be things you're stronger at and things that you're weaker at, but your weaknesses don't make you a weak person. And life is way too short to spend it proving to somebody that you can do something that you don't really give a shit about. So have a think about your strengths, not your weaknesses. Have a think about the things that light you up and have a think about how you would like to spend your time. Whenever we get any feedback, any appraisal, any of that stuff, we automatically go for the things that we could do better. Maybe it's an overachiever in us, maybe it's our self esteem, or maybe it's just a negativity bias that all of us have got.

Regardless of the reason, the next time you get feedback, the next time you're considering working on something which you don't actually really care about but you feel like you should get better at, question whether that's actually the important thing and if time would actually be better spent doing the things you love. I know we all tend to roll our eyes a bit when we hear that phrase do the things you love, but there's so much more to it. When you do things you actually like, you bring a different energy to it because it's something you love doing, you're naturally in a better mood, you treat people better, you've got more time for things. And I think doing things we love when we can can make us a better human being. So here's to saying fuck your weaknesses and here's to playing to your strengths because you have so many of them. Regardless of what shitty maths teacher you had back in high school. If you're curious about doing something that I know my maths teacher would not like, you can sign up to be a supporter of the Daily Pep over on Patreon, where this week I've launched a tip jar to give Daily Peppers a way of contributing to the vision of the Daily Pep and investing in the future of the Daily Pep. You can get all of the details over at patreon.com/dailypep the link is in the show notes.

I hope your day is as fabulous as you are, and I can't wait to be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning.

Episode transcript produced automatically by Castmagic.io

ABOUT THE DAILY PEP! PODCAST

A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!

The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women.

If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.

Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines

MORE REBEL-ROUSING THIS WAY!