If you’re like most people, you want to be good at everything. You want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. While this may seem like the best way to live your life, it will never allow you to reach your true potential. To become successful in any field or endeavor, you must focus on one thing and do it better than anyone else in the world.
DISC-over Your Inner Workings
I meet a ton of people who are wasting time and effort on things, like the job they are working, the career they chose, the sport they are in, or even a hobby, that they are simply never going to be very good at. Sure, you can get better are just about anything with practice, but why not discover what you are made for…your talents, gifts, and even your own internal drive, so that you can excel.
This moment came for me when I discovered personality profiles, like the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Gallup’s StrengthsFinder 2.0 Assessment, DISC, and a few others. They all helped me understand myself better. What may have been obvious to those around me wasn’t totally clear to me. I literally had to read about myself before it hit home. Each one I read was literally an eye-opener.
I finally settled on DISC, because it was accurate, easy to learn, easy to teach to my family and employees, and a simple glance at someone’s graph could give me instant insights on how to better communicate and work with them. It made such an impact in my life that I decided to get not one, but two certifications in DISC. I am now a Certified Human Behavior Consultant. If you want to learn more about yourself, I’ll share how you can get my favorite DISC profile for yourself a little later below.
Delete Stuff from Your Life that You will Never be Great At
One of the worst mistakes you can make is trying to be good at everything and end up being mediocre at most things. This problem has a name: The Peter Principle, which states that “in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” That means if your job requires skills A, B, C, D…you’ll never be great at anything unless you find another job that requires skills A’, B’, C’…etc. Delete stuff from your life that you will never be great at so you have time for other things. You might not excel in those areas but it won’t matter because someone else will have taken over the tasks associated with them anyway.
Apply Laser-like Focus to What You ARE Good at
The problem with being good at everything is that you never have the time to focus on becoming great.
If you want to be a master of something, it’s essential to make a commitment and stick with it through thick and thin. If you don’t know what your passion is, look for an area where you feel most energized or challenged – those are likely your areas of expertise. And if you find yourself feeling bored too often, shake things up by switching from one skill set to another. That way, even if things get tough in one arena, there will always be another avenue of mastery waiting for you down the line.
In other words: Don’t try to do everything well; instead, devote your attention to what you are made for so that you can become great.
Outsource Your Weaknesses
You may be saying, “Ok, Jason, what if the things I stop spending time on are important.” My answer to you is to outsource your weakness.
The great news is that you don’t have to do everything yourself. Learn to use others’ skills when there is something that needs to get done but it’s not in your skillset or even your desire to do it. More often than not, I find that the question I need to be asking myself is not, “How?” but “Who?”. When we connect with others that have strengths in areas that we are weak in, we multiply efforts through synergy.
Getting Your Own DISC Profile
If you do a Google search for “DISC personality profile” or “DISC test”, you will be presented with a sea of options that are hard to wade through. There are free options, options that look to be free but ask for a credit card before you can view your report as well as expensive reports. After a ton of research, I settled on the Personality Insights DISC assessments. I’d also like to mention that DISC is an assessment and not a test that is passed or failed. DISC is not about passing or failing, but it is about discovering yourself. So, the DISC Assessments that I have been using for years in my own company can be found at my DISC Assessments Store. This is the same DISC that helped me become a better husband and father. It also helped me become a better friend, manager, and leader.
Whether you choose my favorite or one of the other options, I urge you to take one and read it. Study it. Read it again in six months, twelve months, and revisit it from time to time after that.
In Summary
You may be surprised by what you learn about yourself after taking a DISC personality assessment. It can help you to better understand your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can stop wasting time on tasks where you know from the start, it’s not going to go well for you. If you’re wondering how to take your career or personal life to the next level, it’s time for you to start focusing on what makes YOU unique. You may be surprised at just how much of a difference this can make in all aspects of your life. Start by taking my DISC personality assessment and learn more about yourself than ever before. Then, apply these principles below that are tailored specifically for your type!
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