Reverse Engineering to Find Your Giftings

So far we’ve learned that discerning our own unique Giftedness is no easy thing. We’ve seen that we can be “houseblind” to our own talents and aptitudes, and we’ve seen the advantages (but also limitations) of enlisting others to help us in our search. And unfortunately there is no $99 online test, or anything else, which can give you a snappy, tidy printout of your Giftings.

But before we despair that we can never know our own Giftedness, let’s consider a holistic approach which actually has its basis in the Alignment Principle.

You’ll recall that in the Alignment Principle, we define “Giftings”, or “Giftedness” as:

– your innate attributes
– which have been shaped by experience
-and perfected by training.

In a sense, they represent your hard-wiring as modified by all the events that have happened to you, and in particular by deliberate training.

So here’s the thing: you can largely unwrap your Giftings by working backwards. In other words, let’s start with your training. If you do this thoroughly and thoughtfully, you’ll be left with a very good profile of your essential innate attributes, and an excellent working inventory of your Giftings.

The reason this method is effective is that you start with what is most tangible and clearly evidenced. The majority of training occurs in formal settings which leave not only strong and clear memories, but more often than not external evidence such as grades and certification. Typically, each training experience is a bundle of place, subject matter, trainer, other learners, and other memorables, each of which provides a memory hook.

But the reason we study our training history is not to enjoy a stroll down memory lane, but to use it to shine lights on what it did to and for our innate attributes. For example, everyone took math in high school, but not everyone enjoyed it. For some, high school math classes simply confirmed that numbers were not their route to fame and fortune, while for others, math class was the highlight of the day. By considering our responses to various trainings, we get a better understanding of who we really are and what our unique strengths are.

By formally listing every course you’ve ever taken, every music or sports coaching you’ve been in, every professional training program, and asking yourself why you loved it or hated it, what got you excited or what drove you crazy, where you won the gold medal or where you barely scraped through (or worse), will tell you much about your natural, innate aptitudes.

In a sense, this exercise acts as a primer to get you “real” about the giftings with which you were born. And just as useful, it can tell you which “giftings” were more in the nature of a lump of coal, allowing you to stop wasting time on them.

An analysis of your Giftings through the lens of training is hard work. Fortunately, I’ve cut that in half for you by developing a grid that gives you a clear path. No matter where you are in your career, this exercise can be hugely beneficial by helping you understand and sharpen your Giftings.

Even retirees will find it useful and fun, in part as a tool for helping you focus on the best use of the free time you now have on your hands, and in part to bring back to mind some of the “good old days”!

Simply drop me a line at norm@purposeful.ca (mailto:norm@purposeful.ca) asking for the Giftings Inventory: Training grid, and I’ll be happy to send it to you. All I ask in return is your feedback as to what you found useful, and any other comments you may have.

(This is the fifth in a series “Finding Your Giftedness”. Want to learn more? Drop me a note to set up a coffee chat.)