Are you one of those people who are kinda good at everything you try? Ok, let's be frank here - you're really awesome at most stuff.
In my corporate career, it was always "Ask Denise, she'll know!" (Even if I didn't know, I could figure it out and move time + space to do it on-time). I get emails from friends saying "Can you help me with... " and I always answer even when it's something totally random. Can you relate?
I see this a lot in clients because I tend to attract very multi-talented people who are passionate about everything. Jill of all trades types who are very smart cookies (like you!).
However, I'm calling a stop to it.
It was fun being Little Miss Know it All in High School, but in real life, you don't get a gold star, you get exhaustion, scattered focus and a creeping dissatisfaction because you're not living in your zone of genius.
I might be late to the party with this, but I've just discovered The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks and it's one of my most inspiring books of the year.
The Big Leap talks about raising your perceived upper limit of success, abundance and love by living more often in your zone of genius (what you were born on this planet to do), that space when time seems to flow by and you'd happily do it for nothing. Funnily enough, when we're living in our zone of genius, we're actually much more likely to make amazing money from it. Hooray!
When I first read this, I humbly thought "But I'm good at EVERYTHING!"
Turns out - not really. When I dug a little deeper, there are plenty of things that I'm merely competent or excellent at - but I couldn't really say I'm a GENIUS in that area.
I really recommend the book, but even if you do this exercise, you'll start to see things that you really don't need to be doing. You can outsource them from your business, move them out of your job role or actually just ignore the ones that don't matter.
Start with your zone of CRAP
(I can't remember what he calls this one)
- Tasks that are hard for you
- You can't be bothered
- Anything you hate doing or
- Something you're actually you're not very good at (clue - it takes you AGES)
These are the things you want to STOP doing immediately. Say no when someone asks you to do it and let someone else take responsibility. Or if it's your business, outsource this as quickly as possible.
I realised that although I can figure out most things, I get pretty bad results when I do things like edit videos, create PowerPoint slides, formatting documents and housework (no surprise from my husband there!). I also get frustrated, spend hours doing something that I could outsource pretty cheaply and it usually doesn't make me any direct income.
Next your zone of competence
- These are things that you are OK at, but you're not going to win any awards.
- You might get some satisfaction out of doing it, but little joy.
- You had to learn it, it didn't come naturally.. or
- It's easy for you and you don't think too much about.
Spending too much time in this area is not going to be fulfilling in the long run, even if you like being good at it or if it was hard won knowledge.
For me, this is things like creating websites, sales pages and updating social media. It's also things that I was pretty good at in my early career, like organising events or editing documents.
It's hard for me to think about outsourcing my website because I spent years learning how to do it myself, so giving it up feels cheating.
Next your zone of excellence
- You're really good in this area, no denying it
- It's your "thing"
- You've got a reputation for being good at it
- It comes naturally to you (or you've worked really hard to master the skill).
- Again you get satisfaction and you sometimes even love it.
It can bruise your ego giving up things in this area, because a reputation is hard to give up. It might even be a large part of your current business or career.
I'm really great at connecting people, networking and making things happen.
However - when you're prepared to relinquish things at this level, it makes way for ...
Your zone of GENIUS
- Time flies by
- It makes you so HAPPY
- It's fun, exciting, intellectually challenging
- You realise that you're really, REALLY brilliant at this
- You would happily do it all day long... and for free
When you live in your zone of genius - amazing things happen, and when you package it up and find a way to connect it to the world - either through your career or business - you can be a one-in-a-million talent who earns shitloads of money... just by being authentically YOU.
And doesn't it feel amazing, knowing that you don't have to be the know it all? You don't have to hold up the entire world, you can just be here on the planet doing what you were meant to be doing.
Take action - what are your zones
Grab your journal and write down actions in your life, business or career that fall under those headings, and it might surprise you.
Decide to do less of anything that's not your genius - even if you just take ONE thing off your plate, you'll free up more time to work up the zones. Less crap more excellence to start with.
Here's mine
Take some time to either read this book or see what zone you're living in. It is a total game changer for me.
You're such a GENIUS!
xx
P.S By the way, my zone of GENIUS is inspiring women around the world to upgrade their life in the most fun and easy way possible.
