15 Ways to Discover Your Unique Talent

Every person has a unique talent that enhances the world around them. But so many find themselves lost, wondering, “what am I good at?” or “why can’t I figure this out?” Well, this blog post is going to help you with just that! We’ve compiled fifteen ways for you to discover your talents so you can develop them.

15 Ways to Discover Your Unique Talent

#1: Take a Personality Test

The best way to discover your talent is to take a personality test. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? What is your dominant function? Is it Sensing, Feeling, Thinking, or Perceiving?

You can find personality tests by doing an internet search. You might even want to take several of them – you’ll notice that many give similar results, but with slight variations, meaning there are many ways to look at your talents.

“You are a creative type with a talent for helping people.” I know this sounds generic and cliché because “helping people” is something we tend to praise and encourage in schools, but it’s all about context.

In college, I was told that I was undiscovered, under-utilized, unappreciated, and judged from the outside without knowing how they see me. When working for several different companies, I couldn’t find the right fit for me – or even something that matched my skills. It was frustrating. However, as I’m looking for another job now, my resume is nowhere to be found. This time around, I took a personality test, and it described me accurately.

#2: Look at Your Interests

You might think that a “talent” is a skill that you learn – which is true to an extent. But skills are not the same as talents – which are your innate characteristics and inclinations. Many people are skilled in things that they don’t enjoy, so they don’t want to do it anymore or can’t make a living out of it.

Please take note of your interests, and for the ones that you genuinely enjoy, think about the reasoning behind why you like them. Is it because you’re good at it, or is it because you want to do it?

#3: Look at the Things that You Do Without Thinking

The most important thing to discover your talents is to look for the things you do without thinking. If you think about action in a situation and then choose what to do next – that indicates your willingness and desire for action, but not necessarily talent. If you want to know your talents, think about the things that come naturally to you. If you see yourself thinking, “OK, so what should I do here?” that’s a sign.

#4: Consider Your Accomplishments

We all like to think of ourselves as successful, but what kind of successes have you had? If they’re in the same area over and over again (say, sports), then maybe you enjoy that activity and are good at it, but perhaps there is something else behind it.

Maybe you’ve accomplished things that other people wouldn’t consider successes. For example, if you’ve done work in a different field or something that is not “filled” with other achievements, maybe there’s a different talent there.

#5: Consider Your True Motivations

What are you doing? What are you looking for out of life? The more insight into your motivation, the better off you’ll be. What do you enjoy doing? Do it more and evaluate your results. Do you enjoy other people’s company? Do it more and evaluate your results.

For instance, if you enjoy studying math, spend more time with it – and make sure that what you’re doing is challenging for you. If you’re not getting much out of it, you might want to look into a different field.

#6: Observe What Attracts You to People

Who do you want to be? We’re often very impressed by what others can accomplish, and we like to pattern ourselves after them. But don’t just think, “I want to be successful.” Think about what kind of success.

#7: Consider Your Talents from Childhood

What did you enjoy as a child? If you’ve been wondering about your talents since you were a kid, then you’re in luck! You’ve got a lot more time to pursue them.

#8: Observe Your Instincts

The most important thing to consider is your instincts. Your instincts are the first thing to consider – and the most important.

For example, my mother taught me how to read when I was three years old, but I didn’t start reading until five. Why? My instinct said so.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer. That’s what my best friend (who is now an astrophysicist) wanted to be – but that wasn’t for me. I know it, thanks to my instincts.

#9: Consider Your Personality Type

What kind of person are you? These days, it’s rare to have a pure extrovert or introvert. Most people can’t tell the difference between the two. But there are distinct differences between these personalities. Did you realize that each personality type has different strengths and weaknesses?

Personality tests can help you to explore your personality and discover how the things you enjoy bring out the best in you. Learning your personality type helps you to understand yourself better and in turn, understand how to connect with other people more effectively.

For example, extroverts tend to enjoy social events more than introverts do, and extroverts like to talk more than introverts do – making them better for sales and advertising jobs. But introverts are better at focusing and being less stressed.

#10: Observe Your Daydreams

If you’re wondering about your talents, then you might want to pay attention to your daydreams. When you’re in a relaxed state, what kind of thoughts do you have? Do they make sense? Daydreaming can be beneficial if you learn how to use it properly.

For example, when I was a kid, I sometimes had vivid dreams of being a doctor or a rock star. Those were the kinds of things I would daydream about whenever something stressed me out.

#11: Watch Other People Do Your Job

Sometimes this is the easiest way to figure out what you love doing. If you’re wondering what career you should pursue and don’t know where to start, one way to figure it out is to watch other people do your job naturally and think if they like it.

When you watch people go about their jobs naturally without being told what to do, you can use that as an indicator.

#12: Think About the People You Admire

Who do you want to be like? If this question is difficult for you to answer, think about someone who had a significant impact on your life – whether they were good or bad.

It could even be a person in your family, a teacher, or another close friend. The point is, think about who you want to be like and work hard to reach that person’s level of progress.

#13: Read Books about Jobs You’d Like to Do Someday

The good thing about books is that they can give you useful information about other people’s thoughts and experiences. A lot of the information I learned about becoming a professional writer came from reading books, which I did when I was beginning to write.

#14: Speak with People Who Do the Job You’d Like to Do

This is one of my favorite methods for finding out about a job, and it’s mostly free. When I interviewed for a transcription career, I spoke with the person who did the work. For instance, when I was looking at being a writer, I met with writers in my area and asked them about their experiences. If you ask people who have the experience you want, they’ll be able to answer questions that you may not even address in your job search.

#15: Speak with People Who have the Same Level of Education as You Do

For instance, when I was looking for a job as a technical writer, I asked program managers about their experiences. When I interviewed for my current job as a statistical analyst, I spoke with other people who worked at my company and asked them about their experiences. I then made a list of the pros and cons of working there, along with any interesting stories I heard about the company.

In Summary

It is essential to discover our talent because talent is what sets us apart from others. We are each unique, and that’s what makes us special. But we can only change the world if we know our talents and use them to help others.