Guest post by by Lisa Dolce, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator,

Can you imagine what your business and life would be like if you spent most of your day doing things you are naturally good at and totally enjoy?

Pretty sweet, right?

And for us heart-centered folks using our gifts is what gives our work the most meaning.  Yet many of us spend loads of time, money, and brain energy on seminars, podcasts, webinars and other ways to “fix” our weaknesses.

What would happen if we used that time and money to develop our gifts and talents instead?

Turns out a pathway to success:

• Studies show that the #1 success factor for business leaders is knowing your strengths and focusing on the strengths in others.
• People who focus on their strengths are 3x more likely to be engaged in their jobs, and are 6x more productive in those jobs.
• From a neuroscience standpoint, working in your zone of genius engages the area of the brain that creates ease, flow, creativity and joy. (By contrast, focusing on your weaknesses can easily put you in fight or flight mode!)

So how can YOU maximize your strengths in business?

First thing’s first: You need to clearly articulate what your gifts and talents are.

Here are a few questions to get your wheels turning:

• What do people come to you for?
• What did you like to do as a child?
• What is your soul calling you to do?

You can also brainstorm your gifts and talents by making a list of activities where you:

• Felt energized, in the flow, and excited to do it again
• Did something no one taught you to do
• Did something that you couldn’t believe you got paid for doing!

For a deeper dive, I recommend checking out a formal assessment like the Clifton StrengthsFinder.

Once you have a list of your strengths, notice how you use them in your day to day work. Watch how easily your tasks seem to flow—and how much happier and more productive you feel.

The next step is to think about how you can use your strengths more intentionally. Think about how can you apply them in other areas of your business to make your work even easier?

And a word about those pesky weaknesses…manage around them. Start by delegating tasks that drain your energy and you will watch your productivity soar.

For years I dreaded doing my bookkeeping. I would procrastinate to the point where I would have to spend days organizing papers to meet IRS deadlines. Finally, I hired someone whose strength was working with numbers, and it changed everything. Best of all, it wasn’t as costly as I thought it might be, and it left me free to work in my zone of genius, which brought in enough income to pay for the service several times over.

Each of us has been blessed with gifts that are uniquely ours. Within these gifts lies our greatest power and potential to make an impact—not only in our business but in the lives of those we serve.

When you tap into gifts and strengths, you can transform not only your life but the lives of those around you.

Just imagine: how beautiful could the world be if all of us were operating from our best selves?

Lisa Dolce is a Strengths Coach, Business Mentor and Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan ®. She is the founder of The Launch Studio and loves to help sensitive entrepreneurs start and grow soul centered-businesses that make a deep and lasting impact in this world.