What Do You Want To Do Differently This Year?
We all have things we are good at that come more naturally to us. You may find your coworkers have noticed your particular strengths and volunteer you for tasks that align with them, your manager may bring them up in your yearly review, and you may find yourself gravitating toward tasks that allow you to be in that space when given the option. While we all have our strengths, we also all have areas in which we could improve. This year, think about what you want to do differently and get better at. It’s going to take some effort on your part, but following these steps is a good place to start:
- Pull up your Simpli5 Energy Map
Login to Simpli5 and pull up your energy map. Which energy are you highest in? What comes naturally to you? Which types of work do you enjoy most?
Next, think about your goal. What is it you want to do differently and what is the nature of the work needed to achieve this goal? After identifying this, you can then see whether the work needed to reach your goal aligns with your natural strengths. For example, if what you want to do differently is better engage in friendly small talk during your sales calls, but you are low in Excite energy – meaning you’re not necessarily one who loves much superfluous socializing – then you know you have some work cut out for you!
- Be Intentional
Now that you know where you need to lean in, it’s time to make a plan. At this stage, you can use what comes naturally to you to help you lean into where you want to improve. So, if you’re low in Excite energy but high in Examine energy, what may help you is doing a little homework before the sales call. Since those who are high in Examine energy thrive when there is, data, detail, and order, creating a list of conversation-openers and icebreakers could help to alleviate some of the stress of off the cuff conversation.
- Be Consistent
Don’t give up! It is draining at first to do something you do not naturally have high energy in, but the more you do it, the easier it will become. You’ll begin to get better at it and reap the fruits of your labor, which is always rewarding!
The bottom line is: While you have your natural strengths, your areas of lesser energies are not your weaknesses, they are simply the areas in which you will need more motivation and effort to see the improvements you would like to achieve this year!
