Talents
are different from skills, in that they tend to be innate rather than learned.
Once found, they can be nurtured and developed, but finding them can be tricky.
It's partly a process of self-observation and honesty. The rest is learning and
practice.
Talents
can come in many varieties. They may be artistic or technical, mental or
physical, inwardly or outwardly directed. They need not be profitable, useful,
or conventional, but they will always be your own, part of what makes you, you.
Things that your best at is another way to say what talent means.
Steps to follow
1. Think about what you love to do. What
do you usually enjoy doing, without being asked? What do you seem to be
naturally good at? On what do you focus best or most enthusiastically? What
must you be dragged away from doing?
2. Play. Whatever that means to you, let
yourself do it. It's not just for children. Experiment, explore, investigate.
Try doing different things and entertain different activities. Even try on
different personalities.
Give yourself a safe environment for your explorations, one
in which you feel free to explore and try different things without the creative
inhibition that tells you might be
"wrong". That could be as simple as practicing something alone, with
nobody or only a trusted friend looking on. If nobody has to read your practice
writing or watches your early attempts at dancing or looks at the notebook
where you worked out the details of your latest invention, you won't have to
worry about what they think of it.
3. Try taking some personality tests. They can offer insights into the
way that you think. Look for the book Please Understand Me by Kiersey or
try the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. These sorts of tests do not identify
talents in and of themselves, but they can lend insights that might provide
part of the puzzle.
4. Learn
about your learning style.
You can find online quizzes for that, too. Major learning styles are visual,
auditory, reading/writing, and tactile/kinesthetic.
5. Notice
what people tell you about yourself.
Do they notice that you light up when you explain something? Does everybody
seem to compliment you on your writing? Your physical coordination?
6. Consider your interests. What sorts of things do you like
to read about, write about, or talk about? What shows do you watch on
television? What magazine and newspaper articles catch your eye?
7. Notice what
you're not good at, too. What seems always to be a struggle? What makes you
feel awkward or out of place? For instance, some people are great talkers but
hate writing; for others, it's the other way around. That's not to say you
can't develop skills and strategies in areas that are not your forte, but if
you choose to do so, you will know that they are not.
8.
Keep a journal or notebook
of some sort. It doesn't have to be fancy or
formal. You could keep it on the computer or even use voice recordings, if you
prefer. Freewriting
from time to time is one good way to get at what's on your mind. If writing
isn't for you, try drawing pictures, "mind-mapping", or making notes
some other way that suits you. Regardless of the method, capture your thoughts
now and then. It can help you to spot patterns and themes within your life.
9. Practice. Once you find something you love
to do, do more of it. You will improve your skills and refine your technique
this way. You will also discover the depths of your talent, whether it was more
a passing phase. Even if the interest turns out to be temporary, you may notice
what interested you about a particular.
10. Share
your talent with others.
It's ok to practice by yourself, but at some point, you should nurture your
talent by finding a teacher, even if it's just somebody else with more
experience at something who can give you advice. Having an audience (even a
small one) is, in many cases, equally important.
11.
Use your talent. Make the world a
better place, or just show off. Consider making a career of it, or
just a hobby.Or
if you just want to make it useful just for yourself.
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