That sweet spot

Do you remember Venn diagrams from maths? Those circle things, where you had to work out things like lowest common multiples in the overlapping area? Not gonna lie, they still fill me with dread. No1 daughter is doing them at the minute and I keep chanting under my breath "please don't ask me for help, because I don't know what I'm doing"

Whilst I hate Venn diagrams with the fire of a thousand suns. There are three overlapping things that I do love: competence, passion and purpose. When you get these three things right, you're in your sweet spot where you can't help but add value.

First off; competence. I attended a coaching masterclass, earlier in the year and the convenor said something that shouldn't have struck me, but it did. She was talking about giving value to clients and she said "competence over credentials". Not gonna lie, that sent a shiver down my spine. Not because I am not competent, but because I always assumed that I had to 'prove' myself with credentials. As I thought about it some more, I realised that my mindset was more about staying safe and/or procrastinating. As long as I am studying or acquiring knowledge in some way, I can fool myself into believing that I am making progress. Whereas, all I'm really doing is spinning my wheels, like a crusty old barber's chair!

Am I saying, don't keep learning? No. What I am saying though is don't mistake motion for movement. Make sure you actually get out there and do something.

Next up; passion. I've recently become a certified Tiny Habits coach. Two helpful things that BJ Fogg, author of Tiny Habits says is "help people do what they already want to do". Secondly, "help people feel successful". These are two things worth revisiting over and over in my view. It's my experience that when clients are passionate about something, they get things done. From homework, to delivering on goals. Honestly, all the strategy in the world won't help, if you are not passionate about what you do.

Lastly; purpose. What is your raison d'etre? The sad thing is, some people go their whole lives, not discovering what their purpose is. If you're a young person, now is the time to try out all the things, you think you want to do, so you can ruthlessly eliminate all those things that don't make the cut. There's no flashing sign that says "look over here, I'm your purpose". A lot of us stumble into it, through trial and error. Although that can be fun, it's probably not the best use of your time. A slightly more systematic approach would be to take inventory. What are you good at? What are your gifts? What do people seek you out for? What are you passionate about? Answering these questions, will at least get you on the right track.

So, here it is, the only Venn diagram that I like. And possibly the only one that I understand.

Now it's your turn. How are you doing on the competence front? Do you need to brush up on your skills? What resources are out there, that you can use to develop yourself? The internet is a force for good as well as evil and you'd be surprised how affordable a lot of stuff is.

Have you discovered your passion yet? If you haven't, then the fun part is still ahead. Try lots of different things. Fail fast and fail forward. Elimination and curiosity are your two favourite words here.

Do you know what your purpose is or are you still a little lost? Never fear, that's where having a coach can help.

Book a Discovery call and let's have a conversation about how you can get started.

Until next time, go well.