you are a genius.
Check out this Albert Einstein quote: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
Smart man, right?
And I believe him. I think you have a specific kind of genius. There is something you can do better than everyone else. It could be a particular skill, a technique, a thought process.
So it's a real shame that the way we're judged in corporate can be restrictive. That we're potentially working in roles that don't highlight our genius, but make us feel like we can't keep up, like WE are the problem.
This is one reason people end up staying in roles they don't like. Sometimes out of frustration - they're determined not to admit defeat. Or they assume that this is as good as it's going to get.
Don't be the fish. You're not stupid - you might just be in the wrong place.
Lets uncover and use your genius. There's still time for you to get a new role and end 2018 on a high.
Step 1 - awareness. Notice that you're trying to contort yourself (like the square peg, round hole analogy) into the wrong job.
Step 2 - identify when you're in your zone of genius. Some tips to help you do that:
- ask 5 colleagues and your boss what you are good at
- read back over any previous feedback or appraisals and note the positives
- think about what you enjoy about your role (or previous roles). We tend to enjoy things we're good at
- if you ever get a sense of time flying by at work, what task are you doing?
Step 3 - assess your notes from Steps 1 & 2. What are the themes? What is repeated? This will help you identify your genius.
If you struggle to complete these steps using your current role, instead pick your favourite role to date.
A separate exercise that could also help is identifying your passions and interests. More on this next week.
For now, if you're feeling like your current role isn't a good fit, try this and let me know how you get on. Happy to dive into more detail offline.
Have a fabulous first week of September.
Wishing you all the best
Kat
P.S. In short, don't stay in a role where you feel like a fish climbing a tree. You are a genius - use it.