KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Knowing who you are is a powerful tool. We've looked into this before with (are your parents to blame?) other blogs, but it's not just to do with your parents. It's more to do with you recognising who you are as an individual and how you are able to utilise your skills to excel in the direction you choose.
Using your abilities, talent, or whatever you want to call it can be the most effective when you know what they are! So, take a minute and have a think about and write down what skills and abilities you have... This is easier said than done.
As we grow up we gather a vast amount of experience and ability in a number of different areas from education, communication, art, science, sport, amongst many many others. Acknowledging which areas developed more than others is a tough but useful tool to have.
As I know myself better than I know others, i'll use me as an example of what this might look like.
If I were asked, 'Oh, Josh, what do you do for a living?' ... until recently I would have simply answered, 'I'm a Professional Triathlete'. Whilst i'm proud of what I do and work hard day in day out to be a professional triathlete, the more i've listened around and read various literature, I've been drawn to the conclusion that I'm not just a Professional Triathlete. This isn't the only thing defines me.
After a fair amount of thinking, note taking and discussions with friends and family... more me speaking at them about justifying my existence, want, and need to be a triathlete... I've come to the conclusion that I'm more than just that.
Years of hard work throughout education has lead to an Architectural Degree from Cardiff University and eventually the ability to call myself an Architect... which I feel has fallen by the wayside with my triathlon career in full swing.
But that's not the case... I do in fact utilize those skills in other areas. I currently teach at the Welsh School of Architecture (Cardiff Uni) which I love! It was born out of a necessity to facilitate the lack of money made through triathlon and the need to live, so I had to find another income. But i'm using those skills to do something I enjoy, which i've found out over the past few years has been to help others achieve their goals. I get a lot of satisfaction out of it whether it be through teaching or coaching.
Which is another way i've used these skills. Iestyn and I have set up a coaching business, Entire, and I apply a lot of what i've learned to set up and run the business alongside Iest. There is a lot of marketing and media that we do to help inspire others and I use and have gained a lot of experience doing this.
Anyway... enough about me, but you can see how just in the past few years those skills have changed and developed into other things.
I don't just define myself as a triathlete, but also as an Architect, teacher and business owner.
Which brings me on to you... Who are you? the chances are you aren't just one thing... you aren't defined by your profession. But your profession may have influenced other things?
Are you a father, mother, runner, cyclist, accountant, architect, etc etc... the list is endless. Choose the ones that you want to be defined by and don't limit yourself. Be proud of who you are and the journey you've taken to get there as it makes you YOU!
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