You didn’t just land on the earth yesterday. You weren’t dropped into your office chair, wearing that nice suit. You got to where you are today by doing a little something people call “living.”
If you didn’t have all of the experiences that got you to where we are today, you wouldn’t be facing the success that you are. Your experiences in life are who you are, so wouldn’t it make sense to take a look back and see which experiences gave or strengthened some of your skills?
This is beneficial for a few reasons.
Great for anecdotal references in interviews. When was the last time you were asked to “Provide an example of when…”? When you think back on the experiences that have given you the skills you have today, you’ll have those types of stories at the ready for potential interviewers.
Good stories to share with management. Stories that show character or a developing skill are great to share with a boss. They see you in a whole different light and stories and situations are much easier to stomach than a list of your qualifications. Most places like their managers to have the ability to experience a wide range of situations and yet still come out on top.
Reminders that strength can come from unexpected places. We’ve all had that situation that we never thought we would be able to get out of, yet somehow, we managed to gather ourselves and pull ourselves out of the mess and thrive. It’s good to remember your success stories, especially when you’re feeling a little down on your luck. It gives you perspective.
Helps us remember that even bad experiences can have good results. Again, sometimes, the most adverse conditions are when people’s true strengths shine. I’m not saying we should be in crisis mode all the time, but when you think you simply can’t do it, remind yourself of a time when things were much worse, yet you overcame.
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The past is over. It can't be changed. There is still time, however, to make the changes needed so that you can have a more successful and happier future. Unless you truly understand who you are, your strengths and your weaknesses, and why you made the decisions you did in the past, it's going to be tough to make the types of changes that are needed to be the successful person you know you can be.
Get started today by taking the Keller Influence Indicator® (or KII®, pronounced “kay-two”). This is the first influence assessment designed to help you understand the exact influence traits it takes in order to create the change you want to see. You'll get a personalized assessment to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses as they pertain to your 7 inffluence traits and you'll learn which of these influence traits are already working hard for you, and which ones need work.
"The FIRST requirement for being an influential person is knowing yourself." ~ Dr. Karen Keller
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