Sunday, April 21, 2013

Your sweet spot

I was reading an article in the latest Forbes magazine about Carl Icahn's recent unsolicited bid for Dell.  The article intimated that this particular deal hit Carl Icahn's "sweet spot" in terms of the cash needed, the size of Dell, the growth prospects, the share price, etc.  This got me thinking about our own sweet spots and why we aren't routinely playing in that space.

Myrko Thum produced the Venn diagram to the left that's simple and concise - our sweet spot is at the intersection of our strengths, where we've been successful before, and our passions.  How often do you find yourself there?  For most of us, we're usually dancing around the edges, but rarely taking the tough journey to where our sweet spot resides.

Take the time to really dissect your life and determine  where you want to spend the remainder of your time in this world.  Don't just take a cursory look, but take a deep dive.  Forget your weaknesses - shoring up your weaknesses is a Quixotic endeavor at best; focus on your real strengths.  Use StrengthsFinder, it's an eye opening tool.  Don't dwell on minor successes, concentrate on those that created real value.  And your passions are easy - if you were suddenly free of all other obligations and had unlimited time, what would you be doing?

Now go find your sweet spot, but more importantly, take the journey there and live there the rest of your life.