(Originally Posted on 2/11/20)

Every day, we are judged by others, whether consciously or unconsciously. And, most of us mold ourselves into what other people want us to be, becoming a version of ourselves that we believe others want to see or will find impressive. (This is called defaulting.) But that means we aren't being our true selves, often struggling with areas that do not play to our strengths, and eventually that disconnect can lead to internal conflict, disappointment, burnout, and stress. On the flip side, when we operate with authenticity, doing the type of work we do best, we feel happier, more at ease, and more capable of achieving excellence.

Sometimes it's hard to recognize where our strengths lie, but feeling empowered and enjoying the work is a great indicator. Frankly, it's uncommon for people to operate from their strengths because most systems, including school and job rotations, are geared toward making us "well-rounded." While there are some benefits to that in moderation -- it can help us define our talents -- it also can mean we're forced into positions that don't play to our strengths. In a world that highly values specialists, being in an a job that isn't our best match can impede our ability to succeed.

Successful people recognize their weaknesses and build systems -- technology and/or workforce--to compensate for them. Then they focus all their energy on utilizing and maximizing their strengths. For real estate agents, who are in the lead generation business, choosing our lead generation lever will greatly determine our level of success. Whether cold calling, door knocking, creating flyers, buying leads, nurturing spheres, or one of the many other ways to generate business, that lever should be something that lets us operate from our strengths. True, it CAN be something that doesn't play to our talents or bring us enjoyment (sometimes we have no choice), but at some point, we are likely to lose motivation; our willpower and forced habits can only take us so far.

To be highly successful, we need to match ourselves to the right job role within our own business. Otherwise, it's like a cat trying to be a dog, or a linebacker trying to be a quarterback; we are all built to do different things. So it's essential to find our "thing" - not someone else's "thing" - and build upon it. And because nothing in life is static, we always have to keep in mind that our "thing" can evolve over time, as we experience different seasons of life.

• Jon Brooks