Run don't walk: Part II

After last week's post You don't get better at running hills by walking them, I had some readers reach out to me with specific, and very good, questions. I decided to address them in this followup post since hopefully it'll help you apply more perseverance in your life as well.

But first, if you missed it, check out the first post here.

Questions:

1. What is grit?

As I was discussing my thoughts for this followup post with John, he commented that the human struggle has always been one of instant versus delayed gratification. And this is essentially what "grit" comes down to.

Are you able to metaphorically endure the burn as you run up life's hills for the delayed gratification of making it to the top?

According to Angela Duckworth, the foremost researcher in "grit," it involves two qualities:

"(1) The tendency not to abandon tasks from mere changeability. Not seeking something because of novelty. Not 'looking for a change.'  

(2) The tendency not to abandon tasks in the face of obstacles. Perseverance, tenacity, doggedness." 

So grit requires that you understand the big picture goal that you are going for and that you focus on this goal no matter what stands in your way along the way.

Holding on despite the waves

2. Are some people just naturally born with this trait or can you develop grittiness? 

Studies on grit haven't yet proved if this trait can be cultivated or if you're born with it. But I am in the self-development camp and believe you can always grow and stretch yourself. It's about practice. The first time you push yourself will be very uncomfortable, but you must remember that you don't grow unless you're outside of your comfort zone. As this 99U article states:

"Experts tend to operate outside their comfort zone and study themselves failing. This ability to tolerate, and even embrace, uncomfortableness may well be the 'X factor' that underpins outstanding achievement. Self-control, grit, self-analysis... these are not comfortable qualities. But, as renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic... has said: 'Nobody ever changes when they do things they like.'"

3. I am more motivated by rewards than goals. What advice do you have for someone who struggles to get the hard things done first?

First of all, I write about topics that I want to grow and develop in too. So I definitely don't have perseverance or grit all figured out. 

• Understand the link between how the small step you accomplish now is getting you closer to your end result. To persevere through obstacles, you need to articulate what it is you are striving for, write it out, and tell others.  

• Connect what you want to do to why you want to do it. Understanding why something is important ties in the emotional aspect, not just the logical side. (See this post for quick ideas on how to daily remind yourself of the why.) We'll never convince ourselves to do what's hard if it's purely factual. You need to fully feel the importance of what you're trying to do. Why is this an important goal in the first place? Or why is it important for you to keep stretching yourself? 

• Just start. Often it's hard to start doing the hard things because you know how important your end result is to you- whether it's a goal a week from now or five years down the road. Instead of dreading the task you need to complete as step one to your goal, just tackle a piece of it. Once you get going, it will be much easier to continue. 

• Tell someone what you're trying to accomplish. Oftentimes we can't drum up the necessary motivation for ourselves. But if someone else knows what you are trying to accomplish, they can help hold you accountable and keep you motivated by reminding you of the big picture.

You don't get better at running hills by walking them

I read this saying the other day on one of the fitness blogs that I keep up with, and the goal-oriented person that I am, I keep repeating it to myself as I run the hills of my neighborhood a few times a week.

On a literal level, it's true: If you want to run up a hill, you have to practice running it. Even though it's so tempting to walk, if your goal is to run you need to start moving your feet faster.

As I've been getting back into running, I remind myself that the momentary burn in my legs, my shaky muscles, beating heart, and gasping breath is just that - momentary. I remind myself of when I studied abroad in Siena, Italy and practiced every week running up a huge cobblestone hill on the way back to the apartment. And by the end of the summer, I conquered the hill. I might have garnered strange looks from the locals, unsure why a blonde American was trying to make it up the hill, but I returned home still fit even in the land of pasta and gelato. And besides that, I'd accomplished my goal. (Did I mention that I'm goal-oriented?!)

But aside from running, this mantra applies to life too.

Hurdles are temporary. And the momentary effort you'll need to get over them is just that- momentary.

In life, you don't get over setbacks by walking. You need to go full force, take a risk, and not let them slow you down.

This determination, or grit, is the number one factor to success.

I recently watched a TED Talk by Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth that outlines her study on grit. In her terms, after studying West Point students, National Spelling Bee qualifiers, and rookie teachers in the inner city, "one characteristic emerged as the predictor of success: grit." She defines grit as a "passion and perseverance for long-term goals," aka stamina.

A Wired.com article describing these studies on grit states:

"Not surprisingly, those with grit are more single-minded about their goals – they tend to get obsessed with certain activities – and also more likely to persist in the face of struggle and failure. Woody Allen famously declared that “Eighty percent of success is showing up." Grit is what allows you to show up again and again." 

So both a long-term and short-term view are needed to run up the hills in life. First, you must know why it's worth it to climb the hill. Secondly, you need to remind yourself that there will be moments that are difficult but they won't last forever. And it's getting over these hills that will give you the strength to ultimately reach the top.

Don't give up on your dreams. But put forward the necessary effort and give it your best.

Top 7 Highlights and Quotes from Leadercast

Over at the Student Launch Pad blog, I posted about the key takeaways from the speakers at Chick-fil-A Leadercast. Click here (http://studentlaunchpad.com/simply-lead) to read about what Jack Welch, Andy Stanley, Dr. Henry Cloud, David Allen and others had to say about what it means to "simply lead," which was Leadercast's theme.

Here at BeEmbraced, I wanted to give a more personal side of my favorite parts of the conference. Here are my top 7 favorite parts and top 7 quotes of Leadercast (not in any particular order):

1. Since I have my graduate degree in leadership, I am overly enthusiastic and a nerd when it comes to leadership conferences. So just being in attendance and soaking up what the amazing guest speakers (here's the link to the line-up) had to say was a highlight! (Hence all the exclamation points in this post!)

2. Meeting Michael Hyatt! Michael Hyatt was the host of Leadercast this year, and he is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, a bestselling author, top-rated blogger, and leadership expert. I have followed his blog for years, so getting to talk to him for about 10 minutes was so exciting for me! He is very personable, easy to talk to, and down-to-earth.

Me with Michael Hyatt

3. The entire conference experience was truly remarkable. Every detail was taken care, and Tripp Crosby was a hilarious emcee. I am still laughing about Tripp's introductory videos to the speakers. For Duke's Coach K, he went to Chapel Hill asking them if they knew where Professor Kryzyzewski's office was - trust me, it was hilarious.

4. Hearing NEEDTOBREATHE perform three of their songs - great performance!

NEEDTOBREATHE

5. I loved John Maxwell's interview with Condoleezza Rice. I was so impressed with her poise and quiet confidence. She discussed tapping into your contemplative side during chaos and taking care of yourself as a leader. I can't wait to read her autobiography, No Higher Honor. 

6. I'm not even a sports fan but hearing Duke University Head Men's Basketball Coach Mike Kryzyzewski was very entertaining. He was very funny - telling us about wanting to ask Beyonce for a picture at an event but that Jay-Z and LeBron were in the way. His insights about leading an Olympic team with players full of egos was also very engaging.

Coach K

7. The awesome leadership lessons that I learned from the speakers were obviously a key reason that I wanted to attend. As I mentioned, the Student Launch Pad post explains in more detail applicable takeaways. Here are my favorite quotes from the day:

"There is extraordinary power and clarity when you reduce down to the one thing that must be done... If you don't know what you're doing, you're going to have a difficult time doing it." -Andy Stanley

"There is an inverse relationship between something being on your mind and getting things done... Start paying attention to what has your attention, otherwise it will take more of your attention than it deserves." -David Allen 

"No matter what you're trying to do there will be noise in the market... Before the race starts, I'm already focused on the victory." -Sanya Richards-Ross

"Desire will not meet goals, it’s what gets prioritized... If everything is important, nothing is important." -Dr. Henry Cloud

"Communicators take something complex and make it simple... Leadership is influence: Add value to people every day; subtract your leadership land mines; multiply your strengths by developing them; divide your weaknesses by delegating them." -John Maxwell

"Don’t focus on winning. Focus on creating a culture of success. The winning will take care of itself." -Coach K

"Be centered (authentic)… be an optimist… be able to motivate others toward a common goal… do what fulfills you." -Condoleezza Rice

"Find out what your boss wants then over-deliver... Make your boss smarter than they were before they met you." -Jack Welch

What is passion?

One of my Student Launch Pad students recently commented that he’s not a very passionate person.

He made this remark as if some people are passionate and others just aren’t, putting himself in this second category.

For some students their passions are fundamental to their identity. Oftentimes these students have volunteered in the same organization for years or feel very connected to a cause. Others students, however, know their interests and hobbies but cannot articulate feeling passionate about anything.

In asking questions to this second group of students about how they define a passion, it seems that the main problem is an unclear understanding of what a “passion” really is.

Volunteering at a Malnutrition Center in Guatemala a couple summers ago

The word “passion” is thrown around in so many contexts that it becomes watered down. On one hand, students think that supporting the latest cause on social media with a thumbs up or re-tweet means that they are passionate about the issue. On the other side, students see charismatic spokespeople for a cause and think that they have to have this type of energy to be considered passionate.

The missing piece is engagement.

Students who are unaware of their passions often have not actively participated in and devoted themselves to an issue or interest.

Passions differ from hobbies in that passions generate powerful emotions and enthusiasm, bring purpose and joy to life, and cause you to devote yourself to a task, cause, or belief.

For instance, photography can be a hobby or a passion. If you enjoy taking pictures and maybe occasionally editing them and having them framed or put into a scrapbook, then photography is probably an interest or hobby for you. Or, do you see the world through a lens, not necessarily a physical camera lens, but does your joy of looking through a camera actually change the way you view the world? That is a passion.

See the difference? Passions actually shape how we engage with the world around us.

But what shapes our passions?

Please continue onto the Student Launch Pad blog to finish reading this blog post...

Pursuing Excellence

I was recently listening to a podcast from Michael Hyatt entitled The 3 Components of Job Satisfaction. In the episode, he says, "If you have all three of these components—passion, competence, and a market—you experience satisfaction." 


So often, I think that we compartmentalize our lives, seeing formal schooling or training as building competence, finding our market in business only, and developing our passion in our free time. In a world where everything is so specialized, it can be easy to lose sight of the whole picture.

But I love this quote from James Michener because it blurs the lines between all aspects of how we live:

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both. ”

That one line - "He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does" - is critical to job satisfaction, and it is precisely what we discussed at the One2 Conference last week. 

If you strive to be an excellent learner, you will build competence because you will seek to learn in every situation, both at and outside of work. By building excellent relationships, you will also have a keen understanding of the market and what potential customers or clients need. And as you engage with others around your work and explore new ideas for excellence, your passion will grow. As this blog post from Brazen Careerist says, "Passion is nothing more than curiosity and engagement over time." 

When you pursue excellence, you don’t want to half-heartedly develop new skills or knowledge. You can’t be only partly passionate. And as Michael Hyatt says, you either know your market or you welcome obsoleteness.

So how can you pursue excellence today in one of these three areas – passion, competence, and market?

“My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest.” –Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

Advice from Alice in Wonderland

Oftentimes before students start the Student Launch Pad program, they have changed their minds multiple times on what they want to do, how they view what they are good at, and where they see themselves in the future.

With these frequent changes of heart, it is easy for students to dismiss the importance of envisioning their future. They think, “Why map out action steps to reach future goals when I might change my mind again?”

This thinking can make students immobilized and not able to decide what action to take. Or, it causes them to be mobilized in the wrong direction because they have not thought through where they actually want to be in the future.

In Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat and Alice have the following conversation:

Cat: Where are you going?
Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.

If we were to take the Cat’s advice, as long as we were not sure about our next steps, we would not need to make decisions about where we want our future to go.

However, even if you don’t know which direction you should be headed, it does matter what way you go. There are critical actions you can be taking now as you figure out future plans.

As Alice lets us know, “I could tell you my adventures — beginning from this morning… but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” 

Click here to continuing reading on Student Launch Pad's blog for the five key steps to get you started heading in the right direction for your future – even when you’re not sure where you want to end up...

Awaken Your Child's Potential

I am excited to announce that the e-book I have been working on is now complete and eager to be read!

I wrote Awaken Your Child's Potential: Discovering the best direction for the future for Student Launch Pad. 

It is written for parents and intended to awaken the potential in your son or daughter and watch their gifts come alive. By helping your child discover their best direction for their future, you can launch them on a path where they can live into the potential you see in them.

Awaken Your Child's Potential is a 30 page e-book that includes exercises for determining your child’s strengths, writing a vision statement, and completing a personal development plan. It will help your child answer the questions of “Who am I? What is my purpose? and How do I get there?”

To download your free copy, visit: http://studentlaunchpad.com/free-e-book.

What is your competitive advantage?

Through Student Launch Pad, I love working with students to help them paint a clearer picture of their future and see more clearly where they want to be heading. This week's blog post at Student Launch Pad is about understanding your competitive advantage. Yet whether you are a student or not, the concept is useful for identifying the areas of your life that you need to direct your focus.

In Jim Collins’ Good to Great, he found that a key factor in an organization going from “good to great” was an understanding of and devotion to the one thing that company does better than anyone else.

It’s important for you as a student to apply this same concept of understanding your competitive advantage. What is it that you excel at, exceed expectations in, or surpass your peers in?

Many students say “yes” to every opportunity, whether it fits into their long-term goals or not. The temptation to over-commit can come from a variety of sources, including the desire to be “well-rounded,” to achieve, or from being known as a “go-to” person who will get things done. However, to college admissions or future employers, “well-rounded” can appear as a lack of focus.

As Greg McKeown writes, “If we don’t design our careers, someone else will.” He suggests that the number one career mistake that people make is not being deliberate enough in discerning what responsibilities to take on. Oftentimes many good opportunities distract us from our one great vision of the future. What are you saying “yes” to that is taking away from your competitive advantage?

What are you saying "yes" to that is distracting you from your vision?
What do you need to say "yes" to in order to move toward your vision?

To finish reading this post, continue onto the Student Launch Pad blog by clicking here.

Student Launch Pad: Preparing to launch!

I am passionate about coaching individuals and groups to their highest potential. I love witnessing someone discover how they are uniquely gifted and finding ways to integrate those strengths into their work and life. BeEmbraced is all about being embraced by the journey, and my current adventure is with Student Launch Pad!

I noticed that a lot of students were wasting valuable time and tuition dollars pursuing mismatched majors and careers in college. 53% of college students change majors 2 to 3 times, contributing to the over 50% of students who are taking longer than 6 years to graduate. Each additional year it takes to graduate will cost on average another $19,171 of tuition money, depending on whether it is a private or public university.

I want to reverse this trend and teach students how to apply their strengths and find their “sweet spot.” What if students knew how their unique combination of strengths, passions, values, and personality fit into a major or career?

Too many adults started down a career path that wasn't a good fit to begin with and now feel stuck. Instead, I believe that you can balance your passions with the practicality of making a living. In fact, your strengths, passions, and values all work together for success. 

I would love your support and for you to follow us on Twitter @StdntLaunchPad and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/studentlaunchpad. Or check out our website. Thank you to everyone for the encouragement you've already provided and your ongoing support!

Difference Between Dreaming and Developing

It's been an incredible last week and weekend! I attended the Catalyst conference last week in Atlanta and then just returned from a bridal shower I threw in Orlando. More on the bridal shower in a later post, but for a great recap you can check out my good friend Leah's post here.... it includes lots of pictures of us and the luau theme!

So backing up to this past week where I attended the majority of Catalyst, a conference for church leaders. I love this conference because it includes speakers from many fields including Geoffrey Canada, Simon Sinek, Susan Cain, John Acuff, and Francis Chan. 

The Catalyst theme was "Make." Are you consciously making yourself into a leader?

Though I heard many great messages on leadership, the key takeaway that I have been mulling over all weekend is the dichotomy between wanting to dream big versus simply living out of my gifting.

I am a follower of Michael Hyatt’s blog, so I was very excited for the opportunity to hear him speak on building a platform to get noticed in a noisy world. One point that he made was that many of us set goals that we already know we can reach. Oftentimes, I would rather play it safe than stretch outside of my comfort zone, risking failure. Yet, how will we ever grow if we don’t test the limits? When we only set goals we know we can accomplish, we don’t give God the opportunity to show up and do amazing things.

Part of allowing God to “show up” is believing that He has an incredible plan for us. Andy Stanley, North Point pastor, reiterated this point by saying, “God has a plan for your life, and you don’t want to miss it.” I desire to walk in the good works that God has set out for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). Walking in this path requires trust – trust to get outside of the comfort zone and dream big.

And yet with this comes the temptation to want to dream big for the sake of making myself known and glorifying my own work. I want to focus on the future and set big goals. But I don’t want to miss opportunities or where God is calling me to go because I am too future-focused.

Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church, further convicted me on this point when he said that we need to say “develop me” rather than “discover me.” 

I began Catalyst Day 1 (the pre-conference labs) being pumped up to set big goals and dream big. The morning of Day 2, I critically thought about whether the goals I wanted to set aligned with God’s plan for me. By Perry Noble’s talk at the end of Day 2, I then saw that goal-setting and dreaming about the future need to first start with my motives and mindset. Am I expecting God to show up big for the glory of my own name? Or am I first living out of my calling?

What about you? Why are you setting goals?

My newest adventure: Starting a company

When I was about seven, I used to tell fellow Floridians, "You may not have heard of me, but I am famous in North Carolina." My "fame" was because my dad owned an advertising agency at this time, and as a result I was in some billboard ads and a few commercials.

Well, that "on camera experience" proved useful this week because I've been busy filming testimonials of past students I've coached, and being on camera myself. My dad and his friend Max flew up to Atlanta for a whirlwind 28 hours, 220 miles of driving, and six video shoots.

Why?

I'm starting a new adventure in my life by creating my own coaching company for high school and college students. My passion is helping them discover their passions, strengths, and purpose.

I wanted to capture on film my past students' responses and takeaways from my coaching sessions with them.

More to come in later weeks as the idea takes shape, but I am so excited for this new chapter!

Until then, be sure to soak up new opportunities. You never know when one experience leads to a new adventure!

What's next on the horizon?

Bring out the Olympic athlete in you

Did you know there is an Olympic athlete in you?

It's all about creating and keeping habits that build upon your natural talents to develop your strength. Maybe it's your physical strength, as in the athletes competing for the gold, but it can also be your communication, leadership, strategic, or other personal strengths.

Bestselling author, motivational speaker, and business consultant Marcus Buckingham says, "You grow most in your areas of greatest strength. It sounds odd but you will improve the most, be the most creative, be the most inquisitive, and bounce back the fastest in those areas where you have already shown some natural advantage over everyone else - your strengths. This doesn't mean you should ignore your weaknesses. It just means you'll grow most where you're already strong."

Most people, from teachers to managers, tell us to focus on our weaknesses - that lower grade or lacking communication skill - in order to improve this area. And I think most people do this in their own lives even without prompting from their superiors. It's tempting to want to "work on the weaknesses" because if you don't improve in them, then you were already weak in that area to begin with. There's no risk because you can't fail in an area where you are already weak.

Yet the most growth comes out of areas where you are already strong and can take this strength to an even higher level. And this requires risk because who wants to fail in an area where they're known for being strong? It's safer to stay at being good instead of reaching to become great.

Take the risk! (John jumping off sliding rock in NC)

But no athlete qualifies for the Olympics by playing it safe. The star of a Little League team doesn't eventually make Varsity baseball by practicing all of the positions he's not that great at. And the Varsity athlete only wins that scholarship to college by practicing what he's already excelling in day after day.

I'm currently reading The Power of Habits: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Although I just started it, the book is already compelling and very telling about why we act certain ways. Even trying to fix our weaknesses can become a habit, and the only way to break a habit is to replace it with a better one. To do this, however, you need to know what triggers the habit in the first place.

If you find yourself caught up in spending all of your energy on your weaknesses,

• First, stop and think about how you spent your time today. Where did you devote your attention - on your weaknesses or on developing your strengths?
• Second, write down the areas where you are weakness-focused. Do you see patterns there? Try to uncover a common theme to your actions.
• Third,  from the pattern that has emerged, notice what is the trigger point. Do you see a peer excelling in an area where you are weak and then want to go fix this part of yourself? Do you get feedback from someone and only hear the negatives? 
• Fourth, recognize that it is important to manage around your weaknesses and improve them enough to be competent and proficient. However, also determine what strengths you want to grow in. Clearly identify them and write them out. Need help with this? See this blog post.
• Lastly, consciously decide how you will focus on your strengths next time you experience your identified trigger. Set a plan of action and record what happens.

Continue reflecting on this pattern and the results that occur when you replace a negative habit with a positive one. Over time, the Olympian in you will emerge. Go for the gold!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Isn't that the question that everyone is still trying to answer, whether you're 5 or 50? Or 23 in my case.

When I was little, I loved lining my stuffed animals up into rows and teaching them what I had learned at school by writing on an old chalkboard. I would even write up report cards for each stuffed animal (and I had a lot!), including extensive teacher comments on each one.

Another game I played with my best friend was "spy" - inspired by the Harriet the Spy movie and Nancy Drew books. I had a composition notebook and fanny-pack complete with magnifying glass, whistle, and compass. We would dress up in "camouflage" - and in my ten-year-old years, a lime green shirt with matching bright green shorts hid me in the trees - and walk the neighborhood. We would then proceed to solve all of the neighborhood's mysteries, like why a house alarm was going off or why paw prints were evident under a "Curb your dog" sign. I would record these clues in my composition notebook and by the end of the afternoon, we would have solved the mystery and saved the neighborhood.

Funny enough, my mom has been both a teacher and a criminologist, so maybe those two careers are more connected than at first glance.

Being a cowgirl partly came true when I lived in Nashville for four years during college...
Yeehaw to line dancing and country music! 

However, as adults, the difficult part about answering the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is that we're tempted to want to give one word answers, like we did as kids, but our reality is not as defined. And oftentimes we want to change our mind every month day, but our adult world doesn't find that acceptable.

What I'm learning right now - and part of the reason that I started BeEmbraced - is that we need to learn to be content in the present, while still having a vision for the future.

Start discovering the joy of being embraced by the journey you are on:

• Recognize that you don't need a one word answer to what your job is, what career path you're on, or even what you're passionate about. We are deeper than one word answers, one path destinations. It's ok to be in the process of discovery.
• Allow yourself to dream. Suspend the need to have a concrete plan or perfectly defined answers, and instead ask yourself, "What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?" I was recently asked this question in a self-discovery course, and it shocked me. I couldn't come up with anything because I kept getting stuck on thinking there's no way that'd be possible. Stop seeing the roadblocks. See the vision.
• Start discovering your passions by acting on them in bold ways. You probably have some specific areas you're drawn to or interested in, such as health care access, AIDS prevention, or homelessness. But to really test and develop these, you have to interact with these issue-based passions on a deeper, more meaningful level. You need to get out of your comfort zone and confront these personally. What this looks like will differ from person to person and issue to issue, but you won't discover your purpose or "what you want to be when you grow up" until you meet your passions head on.

...And maybe your little kid dreams will end up having a kernel of truth to them.

The Authentic Leader

This week, John and I have been at Chick-fil-A's annual seminar for operators and home office staff. We heard from incredible speakers, had a surprise concert from Martina McBride, and were treated to a romantic evening of dinner and dancing on Valentine's Day.

It was definitely a "remark"able experience, as Chick-fil-A likes to call it.

Yet one of my favorite times during the event was hearing Marcus Buckingham speak. I love his passion for uncovering and developing others' strengths. Rather than focus on fixing weaknesses, which you can only improve upon so much, he challenges leaders to focus on developing their team's and their own personal strengths. Strengths are where the opportunity presents itself for major growth.

Buckingham ended his talk by stating that authenticity is the most valuable tool a leader has. He urged us to take what is unique about us a a leader (for instance- your influence, your pioneering spirit, your energy) and make it useful.

It's February, yet our apartment is surrounded by green. Among the overgrown bushes, one pink flower has blossomed. To me, this is a picture of authenticity- blooming at all times and sharing the gifts you have to offer. Pink beauty against gray, winter skies. 

Buckingham found that the majority of the US population would prefer to fix their weaknesses, with only 45% (and only 29% of Generation Y) focusing on enhancing their strengths.

Sometimes the harder choice is not to "fix" yourself but to allow yourself to be embraced for your strengths. Building on your strengths will allow you to give of yourself more and become a better leader because you'll be authentically living from who you truly are. 

First, discover your strengths. Then, live them out. 

Are your strengths hiding?

Through my work with Element3sixty, I have the incredible opportunity to sit down with high school and college students and hear their stories. I enjoy starting my coaching sessions this way because typically a certain word or theme will stand out again and again in a student's story. This repeated word or theme provides a clue to what energizes them.

For instance, this week I coached a very driven, bright girl who is a senior in high school. Throughout our conversation she repeated the idea that she likes having a lot of projects going on simultaneously because she enjoys making plans. She is involved in several organizations and thrives on leading meetings, building off others' ideas, and improving plans. She was most excited when she realized that something that has always come naturally or easily (planning and being detailed-oriented) is actually a unique strength that adds value for others.

But it's not only whether you're strong in something that is important.

Do you enjoy it? Does it energize you?

Take a look at this Marcus Buckingham video on this point:

You do have a choice.

You can choose to discover where your best is and to act on it, like the little boy in the video who realizes he loves drumming much more than trombone.

It might not be as drastic as a shift as you think. The boy is still in the band, just with a different instrument. Instead, you may just need to position yourself in a situation differently.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to begin uncovering your unique strengths and passions:

• How do you like to be challenged?
• When does time fly by because you're doing something you love? 
• What would you do if  you knew you couldn't fail?
• When was the last time you were really excited?
• What are you most proud of?
• What words do your family, friends, or coworkers use to describe you?

Now, take this list and start seeing where it fits into your life and/or work now. What areas can you reorganize, rearrange, delegate, take control over that will energize you and build off your strengths?