Posted by Theresa Bradley-Banta
I was sitting around talking with a friend the other day. She wants to start a new business so we were listing a bunch of ideas she might pursue. Then I remembered an exercise I did with my husband about four years ago.
It was simple and fun, especially because we did it separately and compared notes after we completed the exercise.
This is an exercise that will help you discover your passions.
Here it is, and have fun!
The “What tasks are you good at and what tasks do you like doing?” Exercise
- Draw three columns on a piece of paper.
- Title the columns as follows:
- Individual Tasks
- Good At
- Like Doing
- Begin by filling out the Individual Tasks column with all of the tasks you are responsible for completing during a daily, weekly and monthly period. Your list should include business and non-business responsibilities. For example, it could include things like planning, writing, accounting, filing and financial analysis along with food shopping & cooking, entertaining, pet care and vehicle maintenance.
- Now go back through your list and mark each task with a “Y” or an “N” in the Good At column. (Y = Yes, I’m good at doing this, N = No, I’m not good at doing this)
- Do the same thing for the Like Doing column.
You may be surprised to see what makes the list. You may be even more surprised to discover there are some things you are really good at and that you love doing, things that could be made profitable.
Just about anything can be turned into a business. It really helps to identify your passions and talents before jumping into a new business that you may abandon in 6 months because it simply cannot maintain your interest over the long haul.
And, this exercise may help you get rid of the brain clutter by identifying those jobs that should be delegated to someone else.
Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of www.bigfishtopdogs.com, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, coach, blogger, and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs.
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