Follow Your Biology: How to Identify and Harness Your Natural Strengths

When it comes to improving ourselves and how to make the most of our lives, the first question our minds jump to is, “What are my weaknesses? What am I bad at? What do I need to fix about myself?”

And certainly we all have things in life that we are bad at, and some of these things are valuable to work on if they have a detrimental effect on our lives. But this isn’t necessarily the most important thing we should focus on when it comes to fulfilling our potential.

One big trap in self improvement is that we try to become someone fundamentally different than who we are, instead of building on who we already are – and thereby creating the best version of ourselves.

An epigram commonly referred to as “Rothbard’s Law” states that “people specialize most in what they are worst at.” While it’s obviously humorous and exaggerated, there’s an interesting grain of truth to this.

First, we often overlook our strengths, talents, and skills because they come so easy to us that we figure there is nothing too special about them. This is especially true for natural talents and strengths that are genetic and built into our biology. We take these strengths for granted because we didn’t have to practice or work hard to cultivate them.

Instead, however, we focus most on what we are bad at and what we find difficult in life. This is because our brains are hard-wired to identify problems and try to solve them. We don’t have to think too much about things that are going well because…they are going well, and therefore don’t need our attention.

Due to all of this, we focus more on our weaknesses than our strengths. Psychologists refer to this as a negativity bias; so when we first think of self improvement, we naturally focus on what we are bad at.

However, the simple truth is there are ways your biology may work against you and there are ways your biology works for you. We all have natural strengths and weaknesses, but by focusing most on your strengths you can leverage your potential in a much greater way.

Think about it. If you go from “bad” → “decent” in one skill that’s not going to make you stand out as much as if you go from “decent” → “good,” or “good” → “great” in another skill. Which path is going to lead to more success?

Follow your biology. Focus on the things your body and mind are naturally good at. And keep in mind that accepting your weaknesses simply means being able to redirect your energy into the right stuff in life.

Take me for example. I’m very short in height and not very athletic. This means I have a near zero chance I’d ever make it as a professional basketball player. Sure, I could practice and get really good at playing compared to someone who rarely practices, but it would likely be a huge waste of time, energy, and resources in the long-term if I were to seriously pursue a career in the NBA. It’s just not a part of my biology.

What is a part of my biology is that I love learning, I love reading, I love sharing ideas, and I love writing. So pursuing my goals related to those things has been much more successful and fruitful for me.

The core lesson is we all have different strengths and weaknesses – both physical and mental – and it’s important that we are aware of them if we want to make the best decisions in our lives.

This applies to all areas of our lives, especially when it comes to choosing a job or career. If you’re not good at math, it’s probably not a good idea to become a statistician. And if you’re not good around animals, you probably shouldn’t become a veterinarian.

This doesn’t mean you can’t work to improve your math skills or animal-care skills, etc., but that you probably shouldn’t put them at the front and center in your life.

Why put all your energy into improving at something you’re terrible at when you can focus your time, energy, and resources into improving what you’re already good at?

If you’re slightly “above average” at any particular skill or talent, then by continuing to practice it and sharpen it you are making yourself that much more rare, valuable, and exceptional. And if you do that, you can often accomplish a lot more in your life.

First and foremost, focusing on your natural strengths, skills, and talents is ultimately what is going to bring out your “best self” and allow you to reach your maximum potential.

Follow Your Biology: How to Harness Your Natural Strengths

Here are tips, advice, and suggestions for how to better identify your natural strengths and begin to make them more of a focus in your life.

• Start writing a list of all your strengths – Get a paper and pen (or open up a document on your phone/computer), title the document “My Strengths,” then write down between 3-5 things that you consider to be natural strengths of yours. Save it somewhere and revisit it whenever you think of something new or need a quick boost in confidence.
• Think of real world examples for each strength – Take one strength from your list and try to think of a real world example of when you acted out this strength. Remembering concrete examples of times when your strengths shined through can be motivating and inspiring. Feel free to write down these examples in your “My Strengths” document.
• Reminisce on activities you enjoyed as a kid – Many of the activities you enjoyed throughout your childhood can indicate things you have a natural interest and passion for. Think about what about the activity made it enjoyable for you. What did you like about it? Do any other activities share similarities?
• Follow your instincts and what you enjoy – What type of activities do you find fun and enjoyable? That’s usually a sign of a natural interest or passion for something, and that can be a great source for developing strengths. Consider what types of things you choose to do on your free time, and somewhere hidden in that is a natural interest that can be explored.
• Pay attention to family patterns – Often we share many of the same interests, skills, and talents as our parents, grandparents, and other members in our family (this shouldn’t be too surprising since we share much of the same biology as well). Make sure you pay attention to any family patterns, (like two artists or two professional athletes in your family), because that may point you into a similar direction.
• Ask your friends to name three strengths of yours – It can be difficult to identify your own strengths sometimes, especially since we tend to not think about them. Sometimes our friends can know us better than we know ourselves, and they can be a great way to avoid your blind spots. For this reason, it’s a good idea to ask your friends to name 3 strengths of yours. You may be surprised by their answers and it’ll help you identify strengths that you never previously thought about.
• Take the “High 5” test – The High 5 Test is a great tool developed by positive psychologists to help you discover your strengths. It’s a 100-question exam designed to assess your top 5 best qualities. It’s completely free and it only takes 10 minutes, so I highly recommend you check it out and see what you find.

All of these are great tips and suggestions to help you become more aware of your natural strengths. These are ultimately the skills and talents that you should focus on the most, as they are the best ways you add value to the world and make it a better place.

If you want to be successful, you must know your strengths and be willing to harness them to the highest level you can.

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