Do you want to unlock the talents hiding within you?
They’re there – trust me.
America’s You’ve Got Talent
That’s right. You are the star and winner of your own hit TV show. You have got talent, whether you realize it or not.
These talents may not even be that well hidden – some are just disguised through layers of insecurity and a lack of self-confidence.
They are there waiting to be unleashed…
It can be hard to figure out what you’re actually good at, especially when those around you seem to know exactly what they’re doing with their lives.
If you’re struggling to find your talents, we’ve got some great tips to help you out…
1. Experiment… Often
First things first, you need to get out and there try new things.
If nothing you do at the moment is screaming out to you as being a worthwhile talent, it’s time to experiment a bit.
We often get so bogged down with our everyday lives that it’s hard to think of something we do that we really, truly excel at.
Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and that nothing you do is very exciting or interesting?
The more mundane an activity feels, the more likely you are to feel despondent and uninspired.
Look into local classes – if there’s a community college or learning space near you, there’s bound to be some kind of vocational course you can join.
Try your hand at ceramics, life drawing classes, or a photography workshop.
If you’d rather do something more physical, why not join a local sports team? You don’t need to be in incredible physical shape or have a vast knowledge of the rules of basketball, you just need to be willing to get stuck in.
You never know, you might turn out to have a secret shooting talent and be the next big slam-dunker.
Hit the internet and see what other people are up to. You’ll be amazed at the amount of inspiration you can find on Instagram and Pinterest – it’s not all selfies and foodie photos.
By exploring new hobbies, you’re likely to find something that resonates with you.
If not, you either had a lot of fun in the meantime or you have a funny story to share with your friends…
2. Ask Your Loved Ones
Still stuck?
It can be really hard to see yourself in a true light, so it’s worth asking those who know you best.
Chat to someone close to you and whom you can trust. Ask them to tell you what they think you’re good at and go from there.
They might tell you things you already know, but you might also be surprised.
Your parents might remember a hobby you had when you were a teenager that you’d forgotten about.
Close friends might remind you that you once wanted to be a singer or a dancer. Friends always see the positive in each other, so you’ll probably find out something new about yourself in the process.
The way other people see you is often more accurate than how you see yourself, so a whole new bunch of ideas might present themselves.
3. Think back to awards you’ve won or qualifications you’ve aced.
Did you get a ‘best in year’ award for a particular subject at school? How about a rising star trophy at your place of work?
If you have ever been recognized for something, use that as a guide to where your talents lie. If someone has singled you out for your achievements or skills, they clearly deem you worthy of praise.
Similarly, if you have professional qualifications or ones relating to a hobby you take part in, those can be considered evidence of a specific talent you have.
Are you a black belt (or any belt for that matter) in taekwondo? Are you a trained lifeguard? Are you a qualified accountant (even if that’s no longer your job)?
Look closely at these things and ask what they speak to in terms of talents. That might be physical strength, swimming abilities, or being able to manipulate numbers quickly and accurately.
4. What Do You Enjoy?
Being talented at something means different things to everyone.
For most, it means being ‘good’ at it.
What does that really mean, though?
Art is so subjective that it’s impossible to say who’s ‘good’ or ‘bad.’
And you can be talented at something from an amateur standpoint without needing or wanting to make it a profession.
What you can learn from this is that being passionate really counts for a lot.
Talent isn’t just about the end result, it’s about the process and the thoughts and feelings you put into something.
Passion is such a huge part of talent, and we often forget that when we’re desperately trying to find something we can do well.
5. Think Of Your Strengths
Most of us want a hobby or skill that is unrelated to our jobs.
If you spend all day at work making spreadsheets, you’re probably pretty talented at it. Does that mean that you want Excel formulas to be your hidden talent?
No, probably not.
Does it mean you can use this skill set elsewhere and turn it into a passion?
100% yes!
Lift your existing skills and channel them into something else. You might find that your organizational skills in the office make you an incredible event manager.
Being a team leader in a bar job might have actually prepared you for theatre production (amateur or otherwise) – lots of noise, colorful characters, and a knack for getting things done on busy evening shifts?
Try to reframe your current skills and use them to power you into a new hobby. You’ll be surprised by how many great things you can already do.
From there, it’s just a case of finding ways to let that talent shine…
6. What Can You Do Better Than 99% Of The Population?
This links to playing to your strengths, as well as a different definition of the word ‘talent.’
Some people want a talent that allows them to explore their creative side, or be bolder and more interesting.
Some of us are after a talent that we can make some money from, which is also a totally valid desire.
If you’re trying to capitalize on your existing skills, you need to think about your niche. What are you better at than most people you know?
This is where talking to close friends and family comes into play again. You might not realize it, but some things you do in your daily life will actually be a huge challenge for other people.
Organizing a wedding? For you, it’s a breeze and you’re so comfortable with an earpiece and clipboard that you can’t imagine life without them. For others, dealing with a Bridezilla, floral centerpieces, and the ‘fish or chicken’ dilemma is their worst nightmare.
Think about the things you do that other people can’t, or won’t, and work from there. Find ways to market yourself as a specialist and make that talent of yours work for you.
7. Consider your intangible talents.
Not every talent is going to be something you can demonstrate easily to others. Unlike physical things such as juggling or parkour where you can show someone what you can do, your talents might be less visible or only visible in certain circumstances.
What might this look like?
Perhaps you are the person others turn to in times of crisis because you can keep a cool head in an emergency and can act decisively where others fumble.
Maybe you are known for your creative solutions to challenging problems because you have a knack for thinking outside the box.
Are you really good at forging harmony between two warring parties, whether that’s friends, family members, colleagues, or just some people having an argument in the street?
Or do you know what to say and which buttons to press to truly motivate others to do their best or try something new?
These types of talent can be more difficult to pinpoint, but they are talents nonetheless.
8. Listen To Yourself
Think of that thing that makes your heart skip a beat and gives you butterflies.
The thing that makes you ache inside because you need it in your life.
You might be thinking of your partner, or pizza, right now, but push past that.
What else is there?
Do you get a sudden tug in your stomach when you hear someone playing the guitar?
Does the thought of writing your own novel leave you feeling excited and nervous and full of hope?
Chase that feeling and find out if it’s something you can really pursue.
It might be that you have one guitar lesson and hate it, or you might be a complete natural. Either way, you’ve followed your heart and explored a new avenue.
Listening to what your soul is craving can be really tricky at times. You’re busy with work and you’re already struggling to juggle friendships, relationships, and that weekly gym class.
Watching Netflix and scrolling mindlessly on your phone tends to take over when you do get spare time, so it’s hard to know what your mind is actually thinking and craving.
The next time you have a day off, sit down, stick on a great album and brainstorm ideas.
Give yourself some breathing room to think and process, and run with whatever thoughts pop up.
If something keeps cropping up, chase it. Really.
Your heart knows what it wants, and that’s a great way to lead to your next hidden talent being uncovered…
9. Take on a big challenge.
If you can’t think of any talents you have, you might be able to discover them by tackling something big and challenging.
If you push yourself well beyond your comfort zone, to your very limits, even, you will be forced to learn quickly and work hard to achieve whatever it is you set out to do.
Let’s say that you want to scale an actual mountain but you don’t have any experience hill walking, let alone climbing or surviving outdoors. You’ll have to learn these skills and put in a lot of practice to achieve your goal. And you might discover talents along the way. Maybe you pick up knot-tying easily, or you prove adept at navigating using a map.
A challenge doesn’t have to be physical. It can be mental or practical or a combination of both. As long as you are doing something beyond your current know-how, you have the opportunity to learn new things, of which you might be
Finally…
You might be asking, “Is it possible to have no talent?”
Everyone has some talent. Everyone is good at something. If you think you have no talent, you either haven’t discovered yours yet or don’t consider it a talent because it’s not all that useful.
You may be able to build a huge house of cards but you don’t think it’s a talent because what use is it? Well, it requires incredible precision, dexterity, and patience – all of which are markers of a real talent.
Anything can be considered a talent if it is something you do really well. You might be a highly efficient worker at a recycling plant, organizing things on a conveyor belt into different bins. Sure, it might be your job, but it’s also something you’ve honed into a talent because no one trying it for the first time would be able to do it as quickly as you.
Don’t limit your perception or definition of talent to something that you could do at a talent contest. Talent goes far beyond that.
