The Importance of Knowing Your Core Gifts

Quick, list five gifts that have always come naturally to you.

This exercise can be difficult!

You might think, "well, I've been told thousands of times that I have a nice smile and I make people feel happy."

You might be able to list a few, but they may seem boring, or you may not feel like you know what to do with them.

List them anyway!

As you aim for life goals, it is important to learn how to build on core, already-developed gifts as you pursue your goals.

For example, people who smile a lot and make others feel happy are probably going to find some success by involving others in the achievement of their goals.

They also might find it easy to focus on people problems at work, rather than falling into the trap of working on processes, long routines, or other detail issues. (Did you know you can solve most detail issues by involving other people? I've seen it done many times.)

Knowing your personality type is a great way to learn what your core gifts are. For example, look at the four temperament types below. Which sounds more like you?

  • Improviser - Performing skillfully, with a drive to act now, be hands-on, and be as independent as possible
  • Catalyst - Drawing on intuition to build a unique identity and life-meaning; cooperating, valuing authenticity and pursuing an ideal
  • Theorist - Driving toward mastery of concepts, knowledge, and competence; understanding and developing theories
  • Stabilizer - Being responsible, being a part of a group, drawing on tradition, and building on a sense of security and community

Each one of the descriptions above describes several core gifts. Which gifts seem to fit you?

If you don't know which type fits you best, ask a friend or two what they think, or contact me for a guided assessment through this and other maps of personality.

Sometimes we try to be something we aren't. That's natural and even healthy. In pursuit of those goals, however, it is very helpful to know who we are, so that we can understand how to most effectively stretch our capabilities and meet our goals.

Topics: TemperamentsGifts