Truck driver, plumber, property manager, bin collector, skiing instructor, engineer (sort of), business development manager, waiter, gardener, company manager, pizza delivery driver, …
These are just a small selection of the things I have been paid to do in my life.
Was I good at any of them? Yes, some, but I was average at more of them.
All I did that others didn’t do, was show up and try my best.
OK, so if I didn’t necessarily shine in the working world, what was I like at school?
Same story - B student.
Sports? Yep, you guessed it, AVERAGE (except golf...I am dog shit at that).
Why am I telling you this?
Because on a weekly basis I have conversations with people who are desperate to find their niche.
To find the ONE THING that they are better than everyone else at.
They scan their life up this point and in most cases, all they see are 7/10’s.
“I am not better than anyone at any one thing” they say.
“Turning a 7/10 into real success is impossible. I don’t stand out in any of these areas,” they proclaim.
Both valid points. Who am I to argue with that?
BUT…
What if, instead of looking at each area or skill in isolation, we take a step back?
What if we started to combine two, three, four or even five of these 7/10’s?
There was neither hope, nor desire that I could have found true fulfillment or success in any of the areas I had worked in before starting this business.
There were no obvious clues as to what direction I should take.
BUT, when I combined a few of them, a picture started to appear…
As a ski instructor I loved helping people grow and forming relationships (apres). I also thrived on the fact no two classes or days were the same.
As a business development manager I enjoyed selling people on ideas and showed up consistently.
As a company manager, I was good at seeing the big picture, breaking complex things down things and operating in uncertain environments.
With this base I then looked at other smaller, but equally significant personal moments or themes - the less tangible stuff.
What feedback had I received from people that I had previously ignored?
What experiences had I been through, however fleeting, that felt really good!?
I had been told a few times that I was good at breaking people’s barriers down so they felt more willing to let go and be themselves a bit more.
I also realised how much better I performed when following my instincts, rather than a script.
I was also fascinated in equal parts by entrepreneurship and psychology.
Time to take stock again...what picture is beginning to form?
Well, I am both good at and enjoy:
Helping people - either through advice or allowing them to be themselves
Building relationships and understanding how people’s minds work
Seeing the big picture and breaking things down for people
Following my instinct, not reading off a script
Operating in uncertainty with plenty of variety
Can you see how easy it is to go from a whole lot of average, to a concise list of things that fire me up and that I’m good at?
What does your list look like?
What potential paths does this list rule out for you?
This is just the beginning, the surface level stuff.
Next, I dug deeper and unearthed emotional experiences, positive and negative, that shaped my beliefs and framed my perspective on the world.
Having felt the pain of living out of alignment with my true self, I discovered that I was inspired to help people avoid the same pain.
I also had painful memories at the hands of self-unaware people which drove me to deepen awareness in myself and others.
Soon enough I had a list that told me:
Things I was good at
Things I was crap at
Things that put me in flow
Personal, meaningful experiences that inspired me
My beliefs and things that mattered most to me
The most powerful thing in all this? This is list is COMPLETELY UNIQUE to me, and your list, completely UNIQUE TO YOU!
No one has experienced what you have experienced, learnt what you have learnt, viewed life the way you have viewed life. No one else has been hurt or inspired the way you have.
Soon after delving into my list and trying a few things out, there really was no other option for me than running my own personal and business coaching business, helping people become them true selves.
It leverages my gifts, aligns with my interests, allows me to live the lifestyle I want AND enables me to help people overcome the same fears, frustrations, pain and successes I had felt.
All of a sudden, my broad repertoire of average has come together to create a masterpiece...MY MASTERPIECE!
What masterpiece will you create?
If this article resonates with you and you’d like some help creating your masterpiece, or at least ruling a few options out, there is a button below to book a breakthrough session with me.
If you realise there’s something holding you back and would like to get clarity around how to move past it, click on the link below and book a Strategy Session with me.