Tip #8: Who Is This Person Making These Mistakes?

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Sometimes great achievement can come only as the result of a period of failure that helps you understand who you really are.

Why People Won’t Change
If you are continually experiencing trouble or facing obstacles, then you should check to make sure that YOU are not the problem. People don’t like to admit that they need to change. If they are willing to alter things about themselves, they usually focus on cosmetic changes. Anyone who wants to live in a better world needs to be willing to change himself.  We can change our whole life and the attitude of people around us if we just change ourselves.

Some believe they are supposed to pursue a particular course of action for some reason – even though it doesn’t suit their gifts and talents. Others are not self-aware and don’t even know what their strengths are.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Changing Your Mind
People wage the greatest battles against their own flaws and failures. Most people try to beat down their flaws or deny them altogether. It’s best to say, “Here are my flaws. Now I have to find something I’m good at.” Don’t use your flaws as an excuse to quit. Move forward or sideways.

To have an opportunity to reach your potential, you must know who you are and face your flaws.

1. See Yourself Clearly
Most of us do not look inside ourselves for the same reason we don’t like to open a letter that has bad news. They see all the bad and deny the good, or vice versa. To reach your potential, you must see both.

2. Admit Your Flaws Honestly
You must take responsibility for who you are as a person. Owe up to what you cannot do, should not do, and ought not do.

3. Discover Your Strengths Joyfully
Working on your strengths is the next step in the process. To excel, do what you do well.

4. Build OnThose Strengths Passionately
You will improve only if you enthusiastically develop your God-given abilities. To change the world, you must first change yourself. 

If you are not happy with your current job, family situation or life, look first at what you can change in yourself before trying to alter your circumstances. And recognize this…

Not realizing what you want is a problem of knowledge.
Not pursuing what you want is a problem of motivation.
Not achieving what you want is a problem of persistence.

YOUR EIGHTH STEP:
List 5 weaknesses or flaws. Weaknesses require change. If something you listed falls into the category of attitude or character, you need to do an about-face. If a weakness has to do with an absence of talent or skill, then you need to make adjustments in your priorities, goals or career.

Now list the gifts, talents, opportunities and resources you possess. Develop a plan that will allow you to build on your strengths and maximize your potential. Remember, you cannot change unless you change within. Change yourself, and your whole world changes.

Reply below to share your experiences.  Did you make your list of weaknesses and talents? What did you learn after making this list ?  Was it difficult for you to do?  Are you working on making adjustments for the future?   What do you think about these suggestions? Let us know! =)

Today’s Success Tip…
Failure is the greatest opportunity I have to know who I really am.  -John Killinger

With you on your journey…

NOTE: This is the 8th Mindset Tip in the series of a chapter by chapter summary of the book, “Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success” by John C. Maxwell.