The most important thing you can do right now is to find
- what you’re naturally drawn to,
- what you do effortlessly,
- and what bothers you enough to care.
You may have an inkling into what that is, but there is an assessment already developed that can confirm what you may already know subconsciously. It is called the CliftonStrengths Assessment.
Full disclosure
I am not in any way affiliated with the Gallup organization or their CliftonStrengths Assessment, and I receive no financial benefits from you purchasing any of their materials.
Where I differ from Gallup’s use of the assessment
Gallup primarily uses their CliftonStrengths Assessment to help companies identify issues in employee engagement and to accurately determine the strengths of employees. They have a goal of helping companies be more productive and better places to work and thrive.
I recommend the CliftonStrengths Assessment for a slightly different application. The top five strengths identified in your assessment are the best indicators you can find of the unique way you think. Gallup has found that the chances that someone has the same top five strengths as you, and in the same order is one in 33 million. Let me translate for you. Your top five strengths is a picture into the incredibly unique way you think. No one has ever thought, or will ever think, the same way you do. The way you think is the most unique thing about you.
I use the acronym GIFT to describe your top five strengths because they identify God’s Intention For Thought. Your unique thought process is no accident. It is the key to what you do naturally, without effort, and what you care deeply about. You are uniquely suited to do something great with your GIFT.
You can get the entire 34 gifts assessment, but for the purposes of my this First Step I recommend the Top 5 CliftonStrengths Assessment.
Top 5 CliftonStrengths Assessment introduces you to the first 5 of your 34 CliftonStrengths themes and provides ideas for how to use your CliftonStrengths to succeed. This digital product includes one access code to complete the CliftonStrengths assessment.
Upon completion, you will receive personalized CliftonStrengths assessment results and supporting tools and resources, including a digital copy of the bestselling book StrengthsFinder 2.0.
What You’ll Get
- Your Signature Themes Report. This report presents your top five so you can identify your dominant talents and start leading a strengths-based life.
- Strengths Insight Report. This guide offers an in-depth analysis of your top five. Unique to your specific combination of strengths, this report describes who you are in astonishing detail and provides you with a comprehensive understanding of yourself, your strengths and what makes you stand out.
- Strengths Insight and Action-Planning Guide. This guide provides an in-depth analysis of each of your top five, personalized based on your unique strengths profile. It also includes 10 action items for each to help you think about how to start building and applying your strengths every day.
How to use this information
The top strength identified in your CliftonStrengths Assessment is your GIFT. It is the major way in which you were created to succeed in life. This the “what” you were meant to do as determined by how you think.
The other four strengths are the “how” you are uniquely suited to use your GIFT.
For example: If your top strength is Maximizer, that is your GIFT. I all cases you will see what is good about something and have an overwhelming urge to want to make it better.
If your second strength is individualization, then the how you maximize is to focus on individuals. In this case you will have an overwhelming urge to help people reach their full potential and be GIFTed to do so.
The Strengths Insight and Action-Planning Guide portion of the assessment will give you action items to consider implementing. Pick the ones that energize you the most and start acting on them.
For more resources you may find useful visit https://tmg-assoc.com/resources/