The 4 Surprisingly Simple Words That Could Guarantee Your Success Instead of trying to do too much, people should focus on only fostering a few skill sets.
By Thomas Oppong Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most people are socialized and trained to concentrate on managing their weaknesses rather building on their strengths. Don't be that person. Instead, position yourself for success by developing your talent and leveraging your skills instead of trying to overcome your weaknesses. The more you use your strength, the more capable you become at being your best. So, the four words you need to remember are:
Play to your strengths.
"Strengths are not activities you're good at, they're activities that strengthen you. A strength is an activity that before you're doing it you look forward to doing it; while you're doing it, time goes by quickly and you can concentrate; after you've done it, it seems to fulfill a need of yours." says Marcus Buckingham (an author and a strength strategist)
Related: Gary Vaynerchuk's Advice to Entrepreneurs: Focus on Your Strengths
You can significantly increase your chances of success in life and business if you narrow your focus on what you are great at. This is a belief that sometimes gets lost, as many people focus on achieving too much – gaining too many skillsets that they aren't excellent at just one thing. Instead, they need to focus on their strengths to make themselves indispensable.
Begin to narrow your focus today and force the best out of you by concentrating on your core competence.
Keep in mind, you can't play to your strengths if you don't have an idea about what makes you unique. Take some time to identify the one skill that makes you better than anyone in your team. The best way to determine this is to figure out what you are passionate about. One way to do this is to ask yourself what you would like to do during your free time at work.
Related: Five Creativity Exercises to Find Your Passion
If your current position doesn't allow you to pursue these interests, start by making small but significant changes that can get you closer to what you are best at. Take courses in your spare time that do not require your physical presence. Once you are able to enhance it, you can communicate with your employers and help them understand how to get the best out of you. It's a win-win situation: You do what makes you indispensable and happy and at the same increases your level of productivity.
Your success depends on leveraging your skill and talent in every possible situation. Give your skill a priority in your schedule, nurture it and make the most of it.
Related: Richard Branson on Finding Your Passion Project
