How to turn your weaknesses into superpowers

Hands up who has at least one thing they wish they were better at?

Is it being more organised, better time-management, clearer work-life balance, standing up and presenting without the fear of stumbling? 

We probably have lots of weaknesses that we silently berate ourselves for, some have a bigger grip on us than others but actually, it’s a good thing.

Here’s how you can take that Kryptonite and turn it into a superpower.

Be clear about what your weaknesses are

None of us is perfect, it would be excruciatingly dull if we were, however, there are probably one or two areas of your life that you find frustrating, and worse, they keep repeating themselves.

The best start to unravel what they are, is to write a list of those areas so that you can see them clearly in front of you.

If it’s time management, also include an example of a situation you’ve found yourself in where it failed you, what the implications were, and on a scale of 1-10 how damaging you found it to the rest of your day or week. 

If you’re not sure or feel that you’re missing some elements, you can be really brave and ask a close friend or family member. Go in with an open mind though so that it doesn’t trigger any arguments and remember the conversation is one to move in the right direction, not to feel worse about yourself!

Find the reason for your weakness

If you didn’t get to a meeting on time or hand in a presentation by the deadline work backwards and see where the stumbling blocks were.

Did you give yourself enough time to allow for tech issues if logging onto zoom? Was an unrealistic timeframe set for you? Was there more research needed than first realised? Alternatively, in your work environment are you being regularly distracted?

On a scale of 1-10 work out how important the job in hand is and then make a point to touch nothing else until it’s done and let everyone around you know too.

You could run through the same exercise with organisation, if this is your weak spot and you can never find anything – why is that? Have you made a conscious effort to get storage space arranged and do you own things that you actually don’t really need? Being surrounded by clutter can be distracting so be brutal about getting a new system set up. You’ll get days of your life back in the long run.

Change your view

Rather than being harsh on yourself, see your weakness as a way of improving and excelling in that area. There are lots of courses, many free of charge, that can help with just about every aspect of your life from better speaking in public, to a greater understanding of finances.

Make sure that you make time to complete it and not only will you have a new skill but you’ll feel more confident. 

Additionally, it helps to talk it through, find a non-judgmental friend, colleague or coach with whom you can be completely honest, and run through areas you would like to improve and why.

You’ll be amazed at the weight that lifts off your shoulders immediately, just by talking about it.

Devise a plan

Sometimes we start out with the very best intentions: ‘Today will be the day I clear out that pesky cupboard’ and as we’re halfway through the task, knee-deep in staplers and old biros, the phone rings or we have to run an errand and we wish we had never started. More beating ourselves up and feeling worse than before.

To eliminate that, make a list of all the areas you would like to improve and start slowly. What’s the outcome you’d like from the process and how quickly does it really need to be done? Rather than attempt something in a day, run it over a week or month. It will still get done and if you’ve got a process in place, it’s more likely to work long-term.

Make sure the plan is measurable and achievable and if you can’t do it on your own then look at getting someone to give you a hand or at least take a look at where to begin.

Be accountable

It’s much more likely that you will turn those weaknesses into superpowers if you regularly check in with someone along the way.

They will remind you how far you’ve come (it’s amazing how we are the last to congratulate ourselves) and check how it was done so that your new system or learning process can be applied easily to other areas you would like to develop.

It doesn’t have to be checking in every week, even once a month would do but subconsciously, you’ll know that you must talk through what you’ve been doing, and it will drive you forward.

Look at the positives

Many of us will automatically focus on any weaknesses we can find. We’re more likely to wag a finger at ourselves for missing a train than praise ourselves for getting a parking space.  It’s human nature but it can have long-term damaging effects.

If you don’t pat yourself on the back because you finally mastered playing the spoons or you’ve got rid of old folders in the basement that have been lurking for a decade then the day could feel heavy and unrewarding.

As well as weaknesses we also have a lot of strengths, list those as well and be proud of who you are.

Don’t delay

Start working on fine-tuning your superpowers right now. Don’t just put it on the to-do list for next week, even if it’s just writing down two areas you want to think about working on, it’s a beginning.

It will be sometimes a painful process but worth it in the end and as Superman said ‘The amazing can only be created by facing fear, risk and failure during the process’.  And he did all right.

 If you would like further information about the accredited coaching that I offer, and how you could be supported and coached in all aspects of your life then please get in touch here.