How to find your hidden talent
Everyone has heard about the famous Brazilian footballer Kaka. However, not many know that it wasn’t until he was 15 years old that he started pursuing the sport. Before that he was a tennis player. Had he not discovered his talent for football the world would have been poorer by one great footballer. That is why it is important to be well versed with all your talents. However, what if you have no idea about what you’re good at? What to do then? Well, it is simple – discover it!
Obviously, this seems easier said than done. However, the task isn’t that difficult. If you have no clue at all, ask others. It is likely that people around you have always been telling you what you’re good at and you did not take them seriously or never paid attention. Well, it is time to change that response. Ask your friends, colleagues and even your boss. Also, think about things that you find easy to do and others feel otherwise. For example, maybe public speaking comes easily to you when most have stage fright. Or maybe you are really good with numbers, including serious calculations that may boggle others minds. All these things that you are proficient at, that you took for granted may just be the talent that you are searching for!
Also, your talent could also be something that you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be only functional. If you enjoy reading and you can go through 3-4 books in a week, then that’s your talent. You can incorporate that in thoroughly reading and analyzing a plethora of reports. Is there a subject that you have a lot of knowledge about and can speak volumes about? Then, that could be your talent and you should specialize in it. Don’t disregard anything because any of it could be your hidden talent.
Assess your skills. Write it all down. All the things that others tell you that you’re good at and what you think you are. Then, go through the list and introspect. Focus on each of these things for a few days and mark your proficiency in them on a scale of 1-10. Then, when you have gone through all the skills, rank them. Focus on those few on the top and work on those that you know have an interest in but rank less. Thus, a list of your talents is finally in your hand!
However, never forget that talent isn’t enough to make you successful. As Michael Jackson said, “Everyone has talent, but ability takes hard work.” So, your talent will be a complementing factor but it cannot be the sole thing to depend on. Hard work plus talent equals success.
