We have all probably asked the same questions, “How is it that they can do multiple things well?” Or, “Did they just get lucky?”
I have a theory on this and would love to get your thoughts on it.
My belief is that exceptional people have found the one thing that they do better than anything else.
Henry David Thoreu said, “One is not born into the world to do everything, but to do something.”
Having worked with Corporate Executives for years, I have found that when people find their strength coupled with the one thing they love, they almost always succeed at high levels.
Some people are encouraged their whole life to do lots of different things while others are encouraged to do one thing exceptionally well. When people are multi-gifted they are often pulled in many directions or start multiple things at the same time.
Being excellent at something comes from using your core strengths consistently over time.
We don’t always start out exceptional at the one thing we are meant to do in life. Most of the time it takes persistence, self-development and growth.
Victor Frankl, the author of Man’s Search for Meaning, said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Perhaps you have heard the story of taking a penny and letting it double in value every day. If you did that for a month how much would you end up with? Ten dollars? One hundred dollars? A thousand dollars? A million dollars? In our mind, a penny is small. We do not put much value in it.
However, if you just start with a single penny and double it every day for 31 days, you end up with $21,474,836.48.
This compounding effect is the same with being exceptional. You start with personal growth. You find your one thing and then you do it to your best ability every day. When you do so, you get a return. It is like investing in your very own account of significance.
If you had to determine the one thing that you do exceptionally well in life, what is your one thing? What do you have the potential to do better than anyone else?
For those of you who know your answer or have an inkling of what it is, go do that.
For those of you who do not have a sense of what it is, ask people you know well. Look at your life or take the DISC assessment with Stratengy.
Exceptional people focus on their strengths and what they can do, not what they can not do.
Here are some books on the topic of being exceptional:
Stratengy is here to help you navigate being a great leader in today’s world. Stratengy runs six month programs on how to transform your team. We help you improve your collaborative teamwork. We incorporate the Disc Assessment and the Five Behaviors Assessment. Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you and your team be more engaged, collaborative, and productive.
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