If you’re like most humans, you have certain spheres of your life where you feel very powerful – intelligent, commanding, belonging. In these spheres, you’re knowledgeable and proficient and you feel a sense of respect and status as a result.
Most people don’t feel this way in every sphere. You might have a wonderful circle of friends but feel underaccomplished at work. Or you might have a great career but a rough home environment. It can change from year to year, but usually, you have one or more areas where you feel like things are aligned well and one more where you don’t.
And if you’re also like most people, you’re naturally driven to spend more time in the areas of your life where the emotional resonance is very positive.
You’ve seen this happen, and it’s easy to conjure examples. The guy who has a great career but a rough home life spends more and more time at work, away from his family. So he gets even better at working and even worse at being a part of his family and the cycle compounds. Stepping away from work feels bad for him because he’s stepping away from where he feels respected and accomplished and into an area where he feels weak or even helpless.
What’s the answer?
Look deeper. Underneath your work, your family, your friends, your community… is you. That means your strengths are in you, and they don’t belong to any one sphere of your life. Think about why you’re accomplished at work. Do you make smart, data-driven decisions while supporting your team as a leader? Well, guess what, that’s a great skill that applies at home, too.
In other words, figure out why you’re good at what you’re good at, and then bring that power into the rest of your life. It won’t always map exactly, but it’s better than doing things completely differently when that’s obviously not working for you.
Somewhere in you is the source of your power. Use it everywhere you go.
The Opportunity Machine 