Leontine Uwizeyimana, a journalist by profession, says a few years back, she was working hard without any visible progress. In fact, the 35-year-old notes that whatever she had set to achieve wasn’t being fulfilled.
However, after consulting mentors on how to best achieve her dreams, she discovered that one of the reasons she wasn’t growing was because of her involvement in many things; she was doing too much at ago, and most of these were things she wasn’t good at, she says.
For her to change course, Uwizeyimana had to shift her focus on only that she knew and did best, this is when she started doing her best and hence results.
Joan Mugenzi, a life coach says concentrating more on your strengths is the best way to be successful in life, adding that one should stay away from focusing on weaknesses and instead start capitalizing on what they can do best.
When you do what you are best at, it helps you experience faster growth and development. Net photo.
Mugenzi says to be able to follow your interests, it’s vital to ask yourself or find out what exactly is hindering you and why are you not progressing in life.
"If you happen to get the answers, then this will help you understand the best way to go. This will also help you to create an inspiring, positive picture of the future,” she says.
She goes on to note that if you are working, it’s ideal to always be in a position to know if you are progressing or are at the same level. If you’re not, in this case, she says it’s most likely for one to be doing what they don’t like, and they might be working because they didn’t know exactly what they wanted in life.
Simon Murimi, a salesperson in Gacuriro, Kigali, says from his experience, it’s always good to identify what you are good at and concentrate on that.
How to do this, he says to observe where one is able to perform well and how better they handle pressure in that field without too much stress.
Murimi, who also has skills in finance, notes that it’s always essential to not compare yourself with others; rather, focus on getting inspired from those who have made it. "Also, it doesn’t hurt to explore the sides of yourself that you may not even think existed,” he adds.
Why does this matter?
Uwizeyimana says when you focus on your strengths, it’s clear that you will definitely be happy in life. It’s also likely that one will experience less stress in life and thus become positive in anything they undertake.
Also, from studies, it’s evident that focusing on what you are good at helps one to feel healthier and have more energy. This is associated with a number of healthy behaviours including; leading an active life, pursuing enjoyable activities, and eating well.
In addition to this, one is also able to feel more satisfied with their lives. Individuals who are satisfied with life are good problem-solvers, show better work performance, tend to be more resistant to stress and experience better physical health.
Studies go on to identify that when you do what you are best at, it helps you experience faster growth and development, that positive self-monitoring and strengths building is particularly suited to circumstances when you’re learning something new, something difficult or something perceived as difficult.