If there’s one thing all college students have in common, it’s that we don’t want to be average. We seek to excel at something: a sport, an art, a course, or a job. This is the time we search for our strengths. It’s the time we are finally a part of the adult world and want to find something that’ll be meaningful to us for the rest of our lives. But, we become deeply frustrated when we can’t find our thing. You know, the thing that you’re so good at that you feel unstoppable. Let’s be honest, it’s great to be recognized for hard work and dedication, but sometimes you can work so hard at something for so long, and never see results. So instead, we search for the one single thing that we may excel in above others. The thing that makes us excited for our future. The thing we will one day be rewarded for.
Sometimes, though, finding our strengths in college is difficult. We live in a world of competition, rather than self-exploration. We tend to try to be the best in the class, the best artist or musician, the best on the field, or the best in the office. We want to have that rewarding feeling of being on top. However, this isn’t how you find your strengths. This is how you find your weakness: the desire to be better than everyone else. The only way to find your strength is to focus on yourself. These are the four ways to find the thing you’ll excel in:
1. What are your greatest skills?
In order to find something you’ll excel in, you should probably take a look at your current skill set. What are the things you are most capable of? Maybe you are an extremely organized person, and will find your greatest strengths in an environment where organization is key. Or, maybe you have a clear talent in a particular athletic or artistic area. If you do, you could find something in either of those fields that’ll challenge you at first, and then become your greatest accomplishment. For example, if you’ve always been a good runner, why not take a try at road races? If you are particularly great at a specific subject, such as anatomy and physiology, you should take multiple courses in that area. It’s possible you haven’t tried to find your strength, and it’s already there. The most important thing is to test your skill set, and find your limits.
2. What makes you feel good?
This is probably the key to excelling at something. It’s easy to lose your motivation, and begin to hate the things you once loved. However, I can guarantee you there’s something out there that’ll always make you happy. I don’t mean every single day, but most of the time. After you try out new things pertaining to your skill set, try them out. See if they make you happy. Do you feel as though this is something you could do for the years to come? Do you find yourself excited at the thought of doing that thing? Do you find it makes you feel motivated, and want to continue to get better at it? Once you find something that makes you feel excited for the future, don’t let it go.
3. When you were a child, what did you always want to try?
I know, most children want to do everything as a child. I wanted to be a singing, dancing doctor, who also went to the Olympics for gymnastics. Clearly, I had an interest in becoming something that didn’t exist, but today I’m still interested in all of those things. To this day, singing is my favorite thing to do. I spent my entire high school experience singing and dancing in show choirs and school plays. Although I am not a gymnastic or a doctor, they are both something I would have in the back of my mind for years to come. Sometimes, you’ll try out one of the things your 5-year-old-self wanted to do, and realize you’re actually great at it. Maybe it won’t be singing, dancing and tumbling in the operating room, but looking back at your childhood desires is a start.
4. Are you working hard enough?
Truth is, a lot of the time you may already know what you’re good at. Somewhere along the way, you probably gave up because you weren’t excelling as quick as you wanted to. Or, maybe you’re weary of trying this new thing because you’re afraid of losing interest, or failing. But, it’s impossible to get anywhere without hard work and dedication. Everything in life takes great dedication, and once you truly put your all into something, you will succeed. If not at first, try and try again.
As college students, we have so much to look forward to in the future. We can focus on our weaknesses, or we can look for our strength instead. Surely you might not find it right away, but it’s definitely there. Just keep looking, because sometimes the things you never knew you’d be good at will become your greatest strengths. For example, recently I started observing in special education classrooms. Although I had an interest in becoming a special education teacher, it was never the goal. After only three observations, I realized that this is my thing. It’s that thing that made me excited for the future again. It is the thing I hope to one day be rewarded for. It is the thing that makes me feel confident. I want to spend each day receiving that rewarding feeling when you make a break through with a student. It took me a while to find this, hidden beneath a myriad of interests. But, I found it. Now it’s your turn.
