By Mary Jean Billingsley
Each day we’re faced with decisions. What can I eat for breakfast? What do I wear for the weather? How long should I wait to get gas for the car? Do I need to read more to be ready for class? Should I … and the list goes on. Research shows that, on average, we are making thousands of decisions every day.
When you know your strengths, decisions are easier because you can choose situations that suit your strengths.
In the book Find your Strongest Life, author Marcus Buckingham talks about deciding with confidence. He points out that we might regret an outcome, but we need never regret having made the decision. While we may not control the outcomes of our decisions, we can control how we think about and think through our decisions.
In that process, there are three questions we can ask ourselves before any major decision:
* Which choice will give me the best opportunity to learn more, or grow more, in my areas of strength?
* Which decision will allow me to use my strengths to make the greatest contribution to my own growth and others?
* Which choice will enable me to experience a sense of well-being, accomplishment and fulfillment?
Look back at the best outcomes you have had in your life. No doubt they involved experiences in which you used your strengths. You may not have known what your strengths were at the time, but it felt as natural as breathing. You may have felt especially calm about it and were able to make those decisions quickly.
In my own experience, I once learned too late that I could withdraw from a college course for which I clearly was not ready. I stayed in the class and earned an “F.” I could tell I was out of my area of knowledge, but I didn’t know my strengths then. I got a failing grade in that course, and I had to work twice as hard to make up for it in my other classes.
I went to the Career Center at my university and, with their help, learned about my interests. They helped me think about what brought me joy, energized me and made me want to make a contribution to others using my interests and talents. They were helpful and gave me some tangible things to consider.
We’ve all made a decision in life that did not turn out as we hoped. The beauty of knowing your strengths is that you can make decisions that move you toward a better, stronger life.
Happy JCCC Strengths Week 2017!
Learn about all the activities happening this week by stopping by one of the many information tables around campus or find out how you can participate online.