Donners Thoughts

You'll never settle for less with your own leadership coach.

Don Goertz

March 4, 2022

5 Steps to Uncovering the Genius that is You

Metamorphosis is the process the caterpillar undergoes to become what they were truly designed to be. A butterfly. There is a process for you as well. One that reveals the real you.

Who do you think of when the term Genius is used? Maybe Einstein, Mozart, or Da Vinci. What about Tesla or Gates. I think Rarely do you place yourself in this category but in reality maybe you should consider it.

The word genius, as defined by Dictionary.com includes in its description, "Natural ability or capacity: strong inclination" As with many words, there seems to be more than one way to look at its meaning. Many of us chose to define genius as "A person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test as an IQ above 140". This too is one of the descriptions used by Dictionary.com so which one is correct for you? Or which one do you chose to consider correct? Maybe you chose the the last definition because that seems to be what our school system is all about, but I would ask you not to ignore the first one because in reality, we all fit into this category.

So, by default, I am saying is that you are a GENIUS.

It is critically important that we recognize this because as human beings we all have a role to play in our world. The best way to play that role is when we are in our zone or area of giftedness.

Our genius.

Too often we minimize what we are good at and focus on someone else's gifts. We see them operating in their giftedness wishing to be more like them and in the process, we are missing out on where we have the most to contribute. I think of the 19th century fairy tail titled 'The Ugly Duckling'. The moral of the story essentially says we need to accept oneself for who we truly are.

5 Steps to Uncover the Genius that is You

First Step - Discovery

The journey of discovery is where we begin and while there are many different assessments you can take to help with your discovery, a simple place to start is by doing a self assessment. Set aside some time to consider what it is you really like to do. What are you naturally good at? Sometimes this is hard for us because we don't see what we are good at because it comes so naturally to us we don't value it enough. A supporting exercise to this would be to ask persons we trust, who love and care for us, and are close to us, what they see in us as strengths. It is important to ask the opinion only of those persons who you trust, that want the best for us and to see us fulfill our potential. All to often, others can be the reason we never really complete our discovery since they don't see value in themselves and don't want you to succeed. (See Previous post "Who do you Trust and Why" and check footnotes for links to valuable resources)

Step Two - Development

Once you have uncovered your area of giftedness, you will want to spend strategic time developing and honing your skill. I may truly be gifted at something but unless I exercise and work on my area of giftedness, I will never accomplish what I might accomplish if I did work on it. While I am not a fan, the name Tom Brady comes to mind as one who will likely lay claim to the title G.O.A.T. Quarterback. The way he works out, takes care of his body and studies the game of football have kept him in the game way beyond the average age of other players. Develop a personal growth plan for yourself that:

Sets goals aligned with your values
Stretches you to be better each day - Principle of incremental growth
Engages your strengths

Step Three - Belief

Believe in you! We all seem to have a saboteur in our head. A voice we hear, a triggered memory, or an excuse we make. Another term for this is the limiting beliefs we allow to short circuit our growth and success. This saboteur needs to be identified and silenced. Easier said than done sometimes but here is a process you could try.

Identify the limiting Belief - It could be a recurring thought you have.
Write them out
Change the focus and rephrase as a positive belief
Practice daily positive affirmations

Step Four - Take Action

Nothing happens until you put your plan into action. You can have the most powerful car in the world but until you turn the key and engage the motor, you will not get anywhere. When you put your plan into action be prepared to experience new life in your area of Genius.

Step Five - Personal Growth Plan

Somewhat like step two where we are developing, this stage of your journey includes a review of what is working as well as a plan on how to get better. Your personal growth plan could include courses to take, books to read, finding mentors who will help you along the way or by engaging with a coach. The key to a personal growth plan is to ensure it is intentional and that it is developing the areas you are trying to develop.

Yes, I believe we are all genius's. Uniquely gifted in ways for us to contribute that uniqueness to our society. A uniqueness that makes each one of us incredibly valuable and worthy of the respect of others. If I can help you in your journey, please fell free to let me know.