Why Strengthen Your Strengths

Scenario: "Dude, I'm not seeing success in: ______________. I'm going to do something completely new. Yay!" It's a cycle that viciously spins like a bald orangutan on Viagra:

1. "I want to do something new!"
2. "I'm not seeing results. Ahh!"
3. "I want to do something new!"
4. "I'm not seeing results. Ahh!"
5. "I want to do something new!"
6. "I'm not seeing results. Ahh!"
7. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Most of us look for the quick-fix solution -- to create our very own overnight success story. So when we try something, and don't see immediate results -- we crumble, thinking immediate results lies elsewhere. The solution:

1. Forget the overnight fix.
2. Start strengthening what you've already strengthened.

Yeah, that shizzle might sound confusing. We'll explain:

Consider Pappy -- Pro Athlete Wannabe

Nine-year old Pappy has high hopes: he wants to be a multi-million-dollar pro athlete.

1. "I will have the cars and the houses!" he tells himself.
2. "Fly hunnies will come flocking to me!" he screams.
3. "All the kids will want my autograph!" he exclaims.

So, he lives his life accordingly:

• Age 9: "I will be a basketball player! I will train all day-everyday."
• Age 12: "Ahh! Others keep scoring all over me. I will do something else: soccer! Oh-yeah!"
• Age 15: "Ahh! I can't score any goals. It's not fair. I'll play tennis! Yup yup!"
• Age 18: "They keep beating me. *&^%-!@^^%^!"

And before you know it, Pappy's in college -- with (1) no athletic scholarship, (2) no all-world coaches to guide him, and (3) seeing his dreams suck away every frickin' second of every frickin' day. Looking for quick-fix solutions won't get you anywhere. Pappy, looking for supreme success in minimal time -- kept building several 10-foot pyramids, not realizing sticking to one would've built him The Great Pyramid. True badasses stick it out for the long-term -- building their strengths on top of what they already have. Slowly, but surely, they'll make it to the top of the world.

"So how do I strengthen my strengths?"

It's a simple -- oh-so-simple! -- three-step process:

1. Your many strengths include: _______________.
2. You want to start a business that: _______________.
3. Ask yourself: How can my many strengths help my business?

We told ya it was simple, yet not too many people get to ^3. The reason?

Why People Avoid Strengthening Strengths

Most (sucky) business books tell you:

1. "Know your competition's weaknesses."
2. "Provide a better solution."
3. "Yay!"

So instead of reflecting on your strengths, you start focusing on your competitor's weaknesses.

1. Instead of asking about: "Me!"
2. You start thinking about: "Them!"

It's like you're leaving your strengths at the altar, going for some flame you just met in the corner. How does that play out? Consider two scenarios:

Scenario 1: How Not to Strengthen Your Strengths

1. You've been coaching sports all your life.
2. You're starting a ten-person lemonade business.
3. You look scan the competition: "They don't provide glass cups!"
4. "Let's provide glass cups!"
5. You see negligible results. You still suck though.

Scenario 2: How to Strengthen Your Strengths

1. You've been coaching sports all your life.
2. You're starting a ten-person lemonade business.
3. "I will start a lemonade business that treats employees like my players," you tell your badass.
4. "We'll grade each team member by the ^ of cups they sell."
5. "We'll provide more opportunities (i.e. 'playing-time') for those who kick booty."
6. "We'll keep key stats for each member to improve efficiency."
7. Every time your employing a strength, you're strengthening that sucka even more.
8. Results: Hella awesome.

Yay for your badass. Rule of thumb: the more strengths you employ into what you're doing, the more you boost your chances at succeeding. To get your started, the amazingly-dope three steps to help you:

1. My many strengths include: _______________.
2. I want to start a business that: _______________.
3. How can my many strengths help my business?

Sexy. Sing it, playa:

"Where are my strengths at?!"

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