Image courtesy of Bomb Dog

As a perfectionist I have an obsessive problem with anything that is less than perfect. So no surprise then that growing up I was never organised because I could never develop the perfect organisational system – it was just never ‘quite right’.

Roll forward to 2009, and I have been forced into organisational ability, with the book Getting Things Done greatly to thank. I am running an Experience Agency (one of only a hanful in the world) with international clients, heavily involved in the leadership of my church (you haven’t seen a fight till you’ve seen a church fight), and trying to keep a grasp on all the other threads of my life, as well as adding value on Twitter, Facebook and here. I certainly feel that the time I am spending in each day is more centered around my strengths, and that way, I not only feel more productive (which encourages me), but I am also seeing more return on my effort.

A large part of my transformation has come through a change in my thinking, from trying to become better at what I’m bad at, to becoming the best at what I’m good at.

The analogy is this. Say I am a 3/10 at administration, and a 7/10 at creative design. I can put my effort into making my 3/10 in admin a 5/10, which is now average. Or, I can specialise and invest in what I am already good at, and make my 7/10 a 8/10 or 9/10. Now, I have specialised, can charge more, can influence more, am more effective and more efficient.

As for my admin, I can use the 2 points that I have added to my 7 to fund someone else to handle the admin.

I don’t know why it has taken me so many years to get this, and I know that I am only touching on the fringe of it, with plenty more to learn. So, I’d like to hear from you. How are you maximizing your strengths? What has worked and what hasn’t? Is there a framework you have that can help me and others?