| i suck at almost everything |
| by Julie Kang |
| Tuesday, September 01, 2009 07:32 PM |
|
Not being funny. It’s 100 percent true. We live in a society that places value on being “well rounded.” Often you hear parents say “I just want my children to be well rounded.” Conversely, can you imagine someone saying “I don’t want my children to be well rounded?” Who doesn’t want to be a well-rounded person? ME!! Dictionary.com’s definition of “well-rounded” is: 1. having desirably varied abilities or attainments. 2. desirably varied: a well-rounded curriculum. 3. fully developed; well-balanced. Sounds perfect, right? A Jack of Many Trades and it achieves balance. Sounds great in theory, but what about in practice? I would love to have many talents. For starters, I would love to have Christina Aguilera’s voice, Jennifer Lopez’s rhythm, Meryl Streep’s acting ability, Oprah’s...how do I describe this…her magical power, Brett Favre’s arm strength (my favorite quarterback), Michael Jordan’s competitive spirit, Tiger Wood’s unbelievable focus, Michelle Wang’s remarkable creativity, and last but not least, Sarah Jessica Parker’s sense of style (perhaps it’s Carrie Bradshaw’s sense of style I really want). I possess none of the above (although I can throw a perfect spiral). Those are extreme examples; nonetheless, they help make my point. The most successful people are those who capitalize on one talent and turn it into an extreme strength. I recently read that the most accomplished people also possess... great weaknesses – as if to counterbalance their super talent(s). I was so happy to read this because of all my extreme shortcomings. When you’re young, you should explore as many things as possible to discover your likes and dislikes. Chances are, if you like something, you’re going to be good at it. For example, if you like to write, you probably possess innate talent in writing, and with practice, you can become a great writer – better than someone who doesn’t have that talent. The problem is that instead of cultivating and nurturing our talent, we tend to focus more on fixing our weaknesses. For example, when a child brings home her report card that shows she’s not doing well in math, her parents will do everything to help her to do better. To a certain degree, this makes sense. She should have basic knowledge and skills in all subjects. But once that is acquired, she should spend most of her time doing what she’s already doing well. Not only does this give her a competitive advantage in excelling at something, but it also makes her feel good. Doing something you’re already good at makes you more engaged! Instead of going against the grain, go with it. Do what you’re already good at and do it better than anyone else. Capitalize on your strength and stop trying to fix your weaknesses. In the next blog, I’ll explain how this is relevant in your professional life.
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Comments (33)
  written by omar, January 08, 2010
Very good points. Controversial and valuable. Because we tend to focus, as you say, on utilitarian approaches to knowledge and achievement, we focus on the mean intelligence rather than on brilliances. Being great at one thing can trump being good at a few different things. It depends on the individual's priorities, which is the key. Personally, I feel much more essentially valuable when I have a few special skills. At the same time, being well-rounded is almost a social insurance and usually requires this attunement to feedback, as you exemplify by a report card. I think most great peoples' most dangerous weaknesses often focus on the social aspect and this obviously makes for interesting relationships. I like educational systems that focus on this approach that you speak of.
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I love reading your blogs Julie. This one in particular talks about something that's been on my mind for a very long time. Recently, more than ever before, as I try to navigate myself through the real world after college, I've been trying to cultivate my strengths and not dwell on my weaknesses. It sounds like an easy task but it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
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