Reflect on your skills and recognize that you have many skills. Remember how your skills have helped you in the past (like planning a wedding or doing well in interviews) and brainstorm ways to use your skills in the future.
Perhaps you get along with everyone, are naturally charismatic, and love to make friends. You may want to work in sales or do activities that involve lots of people, like coordinating volunteer opportunities. Or perhaps you enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together. Maybe you want to be a mechanic or have a hobby fixing old toys. These are skills you can use! By knowing what makes you happy, you can pursue areas in your life to activate your skills and be happy while doing it.
If your goal is to run, make it more specific by determining to run your first half marathon. Avoid general goals and be as specific as possible. Make your goal measurable by setting dates and creating a timeframe. Pick a half marathon race in the future that will allow you to train and prepare for the race. Then create a training plan. An achievable goal is one that challenges you but is still within your grasp. Being the first person on Mars may be a bit of a stretch, but learning how to ride a motorcycle may be doable, even if you feel fearful. By focusing on the result, you can stay motivated throughout the process. Think about the benefits of meeting your goal, and focus on the outcome of this goal. A timely goal has an end date in mind. Instead of “I will hike”, a time-bound goal has an end date in mind, creating some sense of urgency, such as “I will hike to the top of Mount Timpanogos by August 16. ” For more information about goal setting, check out How to Set Goals.
If you’re interested in pursuing knowledge and not a career, community colleges offer more affordable options and offer classes for many interests. You can apprentice someone to learn specialized skills. You may want to be a surf instructor but not know how to teach surfing. By apprenticing a surf teacher, you can learn the skills to teach.
Join interest clubs or professional societies to help you meet people with similar interests or career paths. Take advantage of any opportunity to meet others who share your interest. Ask them questions about how they improved their skills, how they achieved success, and any things to avoid or re-consider. If you want to learn a skill, such as welding, take a class. A class offers an environment to meet other people with similar interests, and it may open doors to pursue more ways to improve this skill.
By asking around, you may find that your church would love for you to sing at services. You may find that you can write for your local newspaper or submit stories for local publications. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Practice the role tree exercise: Think about the roles you currently have in your life or have previously had, and write the skills that go along with those roles. See which skills overlap, which are most enjoyable, and which skills aid you the most in moving forward. [6] X Research source
Start volunteering at an animal shelter. You may realize you love working with animals. Some people volunteer with at-risk children and recognize a passion to help these kids succeed. Maybe you are interested in behind-the-scenes work, and choose to volunteer as a light and sound manager of a local play.
If you love design, create flyers for the community center; if you love singing, sing at your church. There are lots of ways to use your skills!
If you’re creative, pursue a career in acting, singing, dancing, or art. Or if you love working with your hands, consider becoming an electrician or builder. If you love flowers, become a florist.
Offer to oversee volunteer opportunities or organize a toy drive for children. You can step up at work and take on additional responsibilities or create new programs.
Knowing that others are watching you or looking up to you can push you to do great work.
Compete to sell the most paintings in a month or create the most original designs. Find a business competitor and ask if there’s interest for a short-term competition.
Realize that sometimes people are just mean. Take negative feedback with a grain of salt, see what can be improved, and move on.
Attend workshops or lectures provided by the organization. Immerse yourself with the culture.
