Strengths & Weaknesses of a dabbler.
Growing up I was always starting new project & doing different hobbies. I would have one round of tea with my dolls, then paint a picture, and then I was onto something else. The only thing that I could do for hours at a time was play board games. I loved that each game allowed me to try a different strategy. It kept me intrigued and interested well beyond my opponents attention span. My mind was always going, thinking, analyzing, and strategizing. I had these qualities as a child and I am still like that today.
My biggest struggle is with finishing projects. Starting is never my problem. I always have a notebook overflowing with more ideas than I could possibly ever execute. When I start something, and it doesn’t go perfectly, I often leave it “for later” and never return.
Embracing your strengths and weaknesses will help you to become the best version of yourself. Knowing that my core struggle is not finishing projects, I am able to take more steps necessary to overcome this weakness. Some steps I might take include…
- REWARDS: Giving myself a reward when I do finish. Like taking the rest of the day off or buying that new pair of shoes.
- ACCOUNTABILITY: Having my husband or a friend keep me accountable. If I know someone is going to ask me if I finished a project, I will be more likely to get it done so I don’t look like a failure in their eyes.
- SCHEDULE TIME: I will set time aside each day to work on only that project without the distraction of social media.
- TO DO LISTS: Taking a larger project and breaking it down into bite size pieces helps me take baby steps. I also love crossing things off my to-do list, so if I have more smaller takes that means I get to cross more off the list.
- NOT STARTING: Knowing I don’t like to finish things, sometimes I have to keep myself from starting in the first place. I have to assess if it is a temporary thing I am excited about or if it is something that I have been wanting to do a for a long time. When I don’t start new things, I then have more time to finish those projects that are only half-done.
On the flip-side, knowing that I am really great at coming up with ideas, analyzing, and strategizing helps point me in the right direction of what job I should take or what new hobbies I should try. For example, I recently found a love for rock climbing partly because I have to analyze the route in order to make it to the top successfully. I also worked as an accessories buyer which allowed me to constantly come up with new ideas and then find a strategy to successfully sell those items.
Embrace your strengths and weaknesses as a dabbler and use them to your advantage!