We all have different sets of strengths and weaknesses and these differences are what make us unique. Here we will focus on 4 effective ways to overcome your weaknesses as when it comes to situations when our weaknesses are highlighted, it is the ability to work on those weaknesses that determine if a person will achieve success or failure.
Working on the weaknesses can be a unique process for everyone but a few common steps can be used to identify as well as work on those weaknesses.
4 effective ways to overcome your weaknesses are:
- Identifying the weaknesses
The first step towards working on your weaknesses is to recognize and accept them. You don’t only need to reflect on your weaknesses, but try to reflect on your strengths too. You can become aware of your strengths and weaknesses with the help of at least one of your friends. Start by making two lists of your strengths and weaknesses with examples and ask your friend to make those lists too. Try to come up with as many weaknesses as you can and think they need improvement and remember to use examples to support those weaknesses and ask your friend to do the same.
If you have any difficulty in finding any specific weaknesses, then try to think about specific situations where you feel weak, insecure, or disappointed and ask yourself, “What could be the reason behind this feeling of mine”?.
Next, add your weaknesses to the weaknesses found by your friend. If there’s any contradiction where the strength you think you have is weaknesses in the eyes of your friend then compare the examples presented by you and your friend.
- Set Goals
After identifying your weaknesses, the next step is to create an action plan to work on those weaknesses. One effective technique to set effective goals is the SMART technique that considers aspects such as specifics, measurable, attainability, realisticness, and time-bound.
Another effective method to increase your chances to achieve your goal is to break your goals into smaller steps and try to achieve them one by one. Hence, don’t try to overcome your weaknesses in a day, but try to start small and keep working on your weakness slowly.
- Find a mentor
A lot of times we aren’t ready for the change or the tough process of working on the weaknesses. And to keep ourselves motivated and on the right track, it’s helpful to find a mentor. A mentor can help us build the specific steps that help us to overcome our weaknesses as well as they help us to monitor our progress and provide honest feedback.
Furthermore, a mentor can help to bring accountability in the process, hence, try to find a mentor who might have some expertise for your weakness and can be available to help you overcome it.
- Plan your attack
It’s crucial to understand when is the best time for you to attack your weaknesses and how much you should focus on this attack. The most effective method is to work on your weaknesses when you are fresh and strong. Hence, try to work on your weaknesses when you feel you have sufficient energy to work on them, usually, it’s the start of the day.
Next, you need to understand how much you should work on your weaknesses. Working too hard can make you lose interest and build frustration because of not getting faster results, also working too little can decrease the improvement. Try to build a plan that involves working for at least a couple of hours every week on days that you have sufficient time for working on your weaknesses rather than pushing other important stuff for it.
Pro tip: You can also reward yourself for overcoming each weakness of yours. The bigger the weakness, the bigger should be your reward.
As Shusaku Endo said, every weakness contains within itself a strength, working on your weaknesses helps to highlight that strength and furthermore build a positive proactive approach towards life.
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