It’s summer and that means the film industry is unveiling one potential blockbuster film after another in the hopes of capturing a bit of your downtime. Screen-worthy (and sometimes not-so-worthy) adaptions of heroic figures take their place on the silver screen trying to entice ticket sales. Put down the popcorn, because I have a challenge for you. Take a break from debating the merits of the latest web-slinger or the Amazonian princess, and identify your own superpowers. You may not be leaping buildings in a single bound or flying through the air, but you do have natural talents. If you haven’t already keyed in on what those are, try these five steps to uncover your hidden superpowers.
Listen to others
A solid pair of eyeglasses may keep others from seeing Clark Kent’s super-alter-ego, but we’re typically not as good at hiding our talents from others. Pay attention to what people praise you for. Are you routinely complimented for your writing? Are you praised for your ability to close the deal? Do people ask you to make them a necklace like you crafted for yourself or to photograph their next event? Your innate skills are being called out and recognized.
Listen to your inner child
What makes you happy? When you’re busy at work or tinkering around with your hobbies, what makes you feel energized and accomplished? When you were a kid, where did you excel and what activities or subjects did you gravitate toward? Did you spend oodles of time drawing or painting? Did you fill pages with your own stories and poems? Did you relish the feeling of accomplishment when you solved a difficult puzzle or won a competitive event? Armed with those answers, what roles and tasks complement those passions?
You know your stuff
Which subjects could you pontificate endlessly about? When you come across an article on the topic, do you dive in and absorb all the new info you can? What about that topic appeals to you? Take time to look at the subjects that you gravitate to. Bonus points if you lose track of time while immersed in the subject.
If you could be anything you’d be….
We tell our children “you can be anything you want to be when you grow-up”; and then we grow up. We see obstacles to our dreams. We question our ability to reach for those high peaks. We see the reasons why a career path is impractical, for us anyway, and we seek a safer second choice. Let’s push all that aside and go back to the actual question: If you could be anything at all, what would you be? What about that role appeals to you? What skills does it require and where do those requirements overlap with the things you are good at?
Career vs side gig vs hobby
Before you look to leave behind one a satisfying career to pursue another, let’s address one very important matter: your natural skills and proclivities can be expressed through a variety of outlets. Your passion (and your talent) may be taking photographs; that doesn’t mean you should abandon your current career and launch a business as a pro. Photography may make a great hobby for you, something that recharges your batteries and brings you joy. It could be a great side-gig with some paying customers for portrait sessions or selling your pictures to stock art sites and news outlets. It could also morph into a new career if that’s the path you choose to travel. Once you’ve identified what you’re good at, take time to explore the right role for it in your life. Can you use those skills and passions in your current job? Is it time to make a career change? Is this just something you want to do for you, to keep it to yourself as a pleasure pursuit and not job-orientated at all? Pursuing your passions doesn’t always equate to something you need to build a career path upon…unless, of course, it does.
