Welcome to another end of week, a time for unwinding and planning ahead for the next week. I do hope your week was fruitful and that you look forward to an even better outing next week.
As part of your planning ahead for next week, let’s explore the question; WHAT ARE YOU GOOD FOR? I know without a shadow of doubt that one of the reasons you stop by this page each week is to join in learning for your journey to become the best version of you. I also know that we have at some point in the past dealt with the question ‘What are you good at’.
Today, we are stepping beyond knowing what we are good at to try and examine what we are good for. As I have pondered the question of IDENTITY in my book Destiny Navigational Application; Discern Essence, Discover Mandate, Deploy Power, Demonstrate Dominion, I quickly realised that while what we are good at is a vital question to answer, what we are good for is even more important.

The more I looked at people who have succeeded in making a success of their lives the more I have realised that these people were not successful because they knew what they were good at, they are successful because they realise what they were good for. These people understand that success is more about managing opportunities than it is spotting opportunity.
To be able to manage opportunities one needs to know what in the final analysis one was not just good at; but what one is good for. In making a success of yourself and the things you are called to do therefore, it is vital that you not only know what you should deploy to be a success but also know why you are required to deploy what you are deploying the way you are convinced you should deploy it.
So how do we answer the question of what we are good at? Well, in my book DNA, I talked about an ability to discern who you are in your core. I talked about how to discern essence and why it is imperative to discern essence. It was Pastor Rick Warren that said that the greatest opportunity any man should explore is the opportunity of divine purpose. What this means is that man is infinitely useless except he understands the dynamics of his Essence. Do you know what your DNA consists of?
Knowing what you are good for therefore, is the ability to recognise how you have been created and for what you are created. It gives you the edge over the man who only takes his gifts and abilities and begins to run with them, without looking for the link between himself and his source.
To know what you are good at therefore;
1. You must first discern your essence. Whether you believe you evolved from an ape (which by the way is absurd thinking) or you like me believe that there is a God who put you here on earth, there is a need to go back to your foundation to not just ask what you are gifted with, but how best to deploy your gifts and to what end. Your essence is peculiar to you and can reveal deep things about how you can deploy a common gift in unique ways.
2. You must define your convictions. Belief systems are extremely vital in defining our convictions. Our beliefs form the bedrock for our convictions and our convictions inform our attitude and reaction to everyday life. The man who has no idea what his convictions are will lack the resoluteness to stand when it matters and this can impact negatively upon his ability to live his life for only the things he is good for.
3. You must determine your connections. Your connections are your relationships. Who are you connected to and with? What and where do they lead you? How have these connections affected your life and your decisions? Tell me what are the convictions that govern the lives of those you are connected to? I tell people that close relationships ought to be chosen carefully and that every vital relationship must be nurtured and handled with clarity and with respect. The Bible says not to cast our pearls before swine. Contracting relationships that negate or undermine our belief systems and convictions can derail our ability to answer the question, what we are good for?
4. You must be clear about your character. Your character tells a lot about what you might be good for. Within what makes up the character of an individual is his/her temperament. I have a high D personality style and this impacts upon how I reach my conclusions and make decisions. However, one thing that those who have had the opportunity to deal with me can tell you outright is that they are clear about why I make the decisions I make. They will attest that the trigger for my decision making is my character as enhanced by my convictions. You cannot know what you are good for if your character isn’t clear to those around you.
5. You must listen to your instincts. I have learnt that instinct is how the greats get even better at their craft. Instinct is that part of you that is most times hard to explain to others but can steer you in a pretty great direction. The difference between the good stock broker and the great one is usually instinct. Nine times out of ten they are unable to explain to you the science of their decision except that they know in their gut that it is the way to go.
The point of today’s post is simple; you cannot effectively manage opportunities into success unless you can answer the question ‘What am I good for’. Answering this question helps you eliminate good from great. It helps you concentrate and focus on only those things you are great for and it multiplies your efforts and releases you into a realm of productivity and success that others dream about.
It is now your turn, tell me; what are you good for? What other ways can I tell what I am good for? Please do leave your comment below.
No matter what happens never forget that you will make it NeverTheLess.
Here is to your success.
Bidemi