How to Use Your Weaknesses as Strengths

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Using these together in a creative way can be your way to getting or finding what you want in life. For instance, Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk, below, discusses this. Gillian Lynne a famous choreographer (did Cats, for example), finds her groove when a doctor tells her mother to enroll the rambunctious, restless little girl in dance. It engages her way of thinking, learning, and enjoyment. It allowed her to become successful by using what seemed like weaknesses in the classroom, and finding how they can be used as strengths. The school felt that she had a learning disability. Today, they might've given her some meds and told her to calm down, Robinson says. If that were the case here, we would've missed out on experiencing her gifts in dance and she would've missed out on a very fulfilling career as well as being a multimillionaire.

Robinson argues that we need to embrace the whole of human capacity. We don't have the opportunity to learn how to do that in school. For example, he mentions how most of us growing up have been told that we shouldn't follow a certain interest because we would never be able to get a job doing that. Dance is often one of these interests, as are other arts like music, writing, acting, and painting. Figuring how to use your strengths and weaknesses in creative ways is a start to how we can tap into our full potential! People have varied talents and often we see some go to waste.

In my own life, I need to move to burn energy and to think, whether I'm writing with the TV as white noise or running outside, or running indoors with music. I've been fortunate enough at work so far to be able to get up and walk around or run up the stairs to think when I've been sitting too long. I can also listen to radio or music while working. I found the right career doing statistics, because I'm introverted and I don't have to deal with clients or be in crowds often.

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empathy
kindness
gratitude
generosity
entrepreneurship
optimism
learning from mistakes
appreciation for diversity
altruism
self confidence
self awareness
self efficacy
conscientiousness
frugality
considerate
gentle
sense of justice
energetic
dedicated
community
direction
determination
environmental stewardship
service/volunteering time and talent
self esteem

However, I could've thought of my own introversion in a different way. Susan Cain spoke about her book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" on the Diane Rehm show. She mentioned that introverts can still be successful in a time and place that caters to extroverts. Not good at schmoozing or speaking to big groups? Do one-on-ones. Cain says that not only can you use introvert weaknesses in ways that effectively end up with the same results as an extrovert, but you can use qualities that introverts tend to have *more* of than extroverts. These are sensitivity, understanding, and having a strong conscience to name a few. Wilson, a professor of Biology and Anthropology at State University of New York in Binghamton, says that introverts are even more likely to have sensitive skin, along with their sensitive, empathic nature.

I have thought about this whole topic on and off since first hearing Robinson's TED talk. Then when I heard the reboradcast on the radio recently about shyness, I began thinking about this again. I don't plan on changing jobs or careers, but I have found these things helpful in understanding ways I can use what seem to be my weaknesses.

I struggle with depression, and had serious, untreated depression for at least ten years before being able to get help for it. I also tend to have a lot of bad luck and my experiences in life seem to be somewhat atypical. I first started noticing this when I was in english class in high school and we would analyze stories. My interpretation of symbolism and imagery would often be different from what others came up with and what the author intended. However, having atypical life experiences allows me to be more understanding and considerate of others. It helps me more easily see situations in a unique way. Having had to deal with depression and taking psychotropic drugs to treat it also helps me be more caring and understanding. Research has found that individuals with depression tend to be realistic. This has been helpful for me generally in life.

The resulting experience of dealing with the mental health care system in different states and with different companies on the physician, pharmacist, and insurance sides was horrible, but, thankfully for other people, fairly unique too. That awful experience helped me be a better record keeper as I went along, and it helped me develop a more assertive and effective way of explaining my needs. I had to keep records and demand receipts and signed proof of conversations and requests. I was already a fairly good record keeper because of absent-mindedness and difficulty with concentration, but this amped it up to the next level.

One of my goals is to continue to build ways of coping with stress and remind myself of things that I'm good at. This helps me with that. I was able to learn from bad experiences. When I make a mistake because of a depression symptom, I can remind myself of the positive skills I have because of it, rather than feel like the symptoms control my life.

Weakness

Workaround/tips to compensate

Strength(s) you may have

1. shy

1. Take notes and communicate with colleagues after meetings. Read and think before a meeting what you want to say; write notes for yourself.

1. Considerate, thoughful, conscientious

2. quiet

2. See "shy" above. Also, communicate more through e-mail or over the phone.

2. "

3. introverted

3. See discussion above on shy/quiet and on the topic from the Diane Rehm show.

3. "

4. sensitive

4. Remember people have their own things going on; don't take criticism or bad performance personally.

4. "

5. hesitant

5. Appear confident.

5. Thoughtful, unwilling to make rash decisions

6. impulsivity

6. Always give yourself a day before answering important questions. Give yourself a moment for more pressing ones. "I have to use the ladie's room" is a good excuse to take a moment, or "Can I have an answer for you after lunch/in ten minutes?" or "I have a quick meeting, can I get back to you after that?"

6. Ability to think fast or on your feet, many interests

7. poor time management

7. Learn personal organization. Get a calendar.

7. Get lost in what you're doing/experience "flow," hyperfocus

8. trouble prioritizing

8. See "poor time management" above. Ask supervisors whether a task should be high priority, or whether it should be higher than another task.

8. Strong interests, hyperfocus

9. inability to delegate

9. Learn to say "no."

9. Enthusiasm for your work and its quality.

10. poor memory (unable to remember faces, names)

10. Avoid the need to address someone. Repeat their name in your mind several times when you meet them. Pick out something that's unusual about their features or dress.

10. Ability to remember abstract concepts or ways of thinking.

11. slow

11. Don't take on too much at once. Play up other skills you have or learn ones that make you irreplaceable. Ability to work well with others, lead, think critically, or come to work on time may be qualities lacking in your coworkers that make you valuable.

11. Thoughtful, care about quality of your work, want to do it right

12. lack of self-awareness, as in, "I don't have weaknesses"

12. Consider any criticism that others have given you personally or in performance reviews. Consider things you may have struggled with in the past.

12. Self-esteem, optimism

13. fear of public speaking

13. Practice public speaking. Disseminate information in memos or e-mails rather than large groups. Meet with key people one-on-one.

13. Ability to speak well with people one-on-one or perhaps even in small groups.

14. fear of crowds

14. Earplugs. Listen to music with earphones on when appropriate. Take notes or doodle to distract yourself from the fact you're in a crowd. Wear a sweater or jacket over you (may feel comforting). Get a job where you will not be in crowds often. Take frequent bathroom breaks or breaks to go outside for a moment.

14. "

15. unrealistic expectations/goals

15. Get feedback from others you trust.

15. Creativity, good imagination, ability to "dream big"

Go through this list and think about your preferences. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you prefer? How do these fit into any goals you have for work, love, friends, hobbies, or other parts of your life? What steps can you take using your strengths? Rethinking weaknesses?

groups / alone
loud / quiet
book / audiobook
details / big picture
words / math
urban / rural
physical / mental
building / designing
ideas / action
memorizing facts / remember concepts or how to think