Here’s the paradox of a blind spot – you can’t see it. It’s a blind spot.
What if you can’t see that you are simply not good at something? You have put in enormous effort and time, but you are still blind.
Perhaps you can notice when someone else does the very same things you pursue with much less effort. They are good at it. You are not.
It doesn’t mean you are less of a person. You are simply working in your weaknesses. It’s a waste of time.
The goal of business is not to be right. It’s to get results. And if you are struggling to get results because you insist on being good at something you are not, then you are headed for frustration, wasted time and much opportunity cost.
It’s hard to swallow that you are not good at something when you want to think of yourself as good at it. Your ego becomes your enemy for it keeps you from being honest and focused on results.
That American ethos, “You can become anything you want if you work hard at it,” is a lie. You can work hard at something and the best you can become is mediocre.
Unfortunately, in a division of labor economy, mediocrity does not get rewarded, especially when there are plenty of more talented people doing the same things you pursue.
Some things really come easy for me. Speaking, writing, setting goals, creating clarity. These are easy for me. I don’t have to work that hard at it. I have put in plenty of time, but I always found that I got results and I don’t struggle through these things.
Many other things take a lot more stress and work with less results. There’s people I know that are rock stars at these things. There’s better managers, counselors, visual artists, and tacticians. I would much rather partner with them on projects than try to become them. What’s the point if I really care about results?
Are you working on projects that you find are not getting anywhere? We have a society where 70% of employees admit they are not happy in their job. They are simply showing up. Anyone simply tell them they are not good at it? Imagine the liberation that most workers would experience if they were simply honest with themselves.
Then you could take more notice of the things that you are good at naturally. Go there instead. You get better results with less effort. You can start building on something instead of simply trying to make money or satisfy your ego.
I’m not saying that hard work does not have its place. However, if you have been working hard at something and always struggling and not getting results, can you get honest?
What if you admitted to yourself, “I’m not good at this.”
You can stop the madness and start solving the problem by getting out of the way and focusing on results as the main goal. It’s ok not be good at something. And it’s ok to admit it.
