What are personal strengths and how do you identify them

Your personal strengths are your unique qualities, personal skills, personality traits, and attributes. They affect how you deal with different aspects of your life.  

For example, using your strengths in the workplace can make you more productive and satisfied with your job. 

Recognizing and using your personal strengths are the foundation for success. This can help you perform well and positively contribute to your workplace. 

In the Philippines, we really care about our community and family. So, knowing your strong points is essential. It will help you do a great job and make a difference in your community. 

Learn why it's important to know your personal strengths, what they look like, and how to find out what yours are: 

• What are personal strengths?
• Importance of recognizing strengths
• Examples of personal strengths
• How to identify your strengths
• Developing and enhancing strengths
• Conclusion
• FAQs 

What are personal strengths? 

Strengths are unique qualities that help you to succeed in life. Learning about your strengths will help you feel good about yourself. It will also help you set goals and build good relationships with others.  

There are three types of strengths that you must know: personal, professional, and character. 

Personal strengths come from a person's personality. They can help you excel in your personal life.  

Professional strengths are skills that help you succeed in your work. Professional strengths examples include technology knowledge, leadership, time management, and problem-solving skills.  

Character strengths are unique qualities and positive personality traits that show a person's good character. Some character strengths are honesty, bravery, humility, gratitude, and empathy. 

For Filipinos, these strengths often come from their culture. For example, "bayanihan" is when everyone helps out like a big team, "pakikisama" means being friendly and getting along with others, and being resilient means staying strong even when things are hard.  

These are special Filipino values that shape their strengths. 

Importance of recognizing your personal strengths 

Understanding your personal strengths is a key part of success. By recognizing your skills, you will have the confidence to face challenges.  

Knowing what you're good at is really important. When you do something great, it's excellent for you and helps your family and everyone in your community.  

That's why discovering your skills can make a big difference for everyone around you. 

You'll have the opportunity to build happy and meaningful relationships.  

Here's more reasons as to why this is important: 

1. Having more confidence and feeling good about yourself 

Knowing what you're good at helps you feel more confident. It also boosts your self-esteem. It means you shall face problems with a positive attitude because you know you can overcome them. 

2. Doing well in your personal and work life 

When you know your personal strengths, you will use them to improve your personal and work life. Using your strengths helps you achieve success and happiness. This applies to your relationships, school life, or job. 

3. Improving and growing as a person 

Recognizing your strengths is a big part of becoming a better person. It helps you focus on what you're good at to keep improving and growing. Self-awareness allows you to set and reach important goals. 

4. Being happier at work and doing more 

You'll likely enjoy your job more if you use your strengths at work. This enjoyment makes you more motivated and helps you be productive. When you're happy at work, it creates a positive environment for you and your colleagues.  

5. Having better relationships and communication with others 

Knowing your personal and professional strengths helps you have better relationships with others. You will bring your best qualities to your friendships and family connections. It also helps you talk to others more easily and understand their feelings. 

6. Feeling less stress and being stronger 

Your strengths and weaknesses act like a shield against stress and challenging times. You will start to use your strengths to cope with problems when things are hard. This makes you stronger and helps you stay positive. 

7. Making smart choices 

Knowing what you're good at is essential when making decisions. It will help you make informed career and life choices. Your strengths will guide you to pick the options that best match what you're naturally good at. 

8. Setting goals that make sense 

When you know your skills, you can set goals that you're more likely to achieve. Using your strengths helps you create a plan for success. It ensures your goals fit with what you're good at. 

Related: Crush Your Career Goals in 2023 (Infographic) 

Examples of personal strengths 

Personal strengths are positive qualities that make a person unique. You're more likely to build positive relationships if you have these strengths. You may bravely face challenges and effectively achieve personal goals.  

Personal or personality strengths form the essence of an individual's character. They influence how a person interacts, responds to challenges, and pursues goals.  

Some examples of personal strengths are: 

• Resilience: Helps you bounce back after something challenging happens.
• Empathy: With empathy, you will understand and feel what others are going through.
• Decisiveness: Able to make choices quickly and confidently.
• Creativity: Allows you to develop new and original ideas or solutions.
• Adaptability: Ensures people can navigate change effectively.
• Self-motivation: Drives individuals towards achieving their objectives. 

Additionally, there are many other examples of personal strengths, such as: 

• Kindness
• Honesty
• Helpfulness
• Optimism
• Patience
• Open-mindedness
• Gratitude
• Curiosity
• Courage
• Self-improvement
• Self-awareness
• Time management 

How do you identify your personal strengths? 

You may wonder, “What is my strength?” Discovering your personal strength involves looking within yourself and seeking feedback from others. It's an ongoing, valuable process that may continue throughout your life.  

Here are some simple steps to help you identify your strengths:

• Ask others for feedback: Get input from people you trust. This can include family, friends, colleagues, mentors, extended family members, and community elders. Ask them about situations where they've seen you do well and what they perceive as your strengths.
• Take strengths assessment quizzes: Explore online quizzes to uncover your natural abilities. These will provide insights into your unique strengths.
• Consider your passions: Look closely at what you love doing or learning about. Your strengths are likely to emerge where your passions lie.
• Look at patterns in your life: Think about the things you do repeatedly that make you happy or proud. Look for the activities where you always do well or feel good about your work.
• Analyze your successes: When you do this, ask yourself, what strength of mine led to this success? Identify the transferable skills and qualities that contributed to this achievement.
• Pay attention to activities that energize you: Keep an eye on what you do that leaves you full of energy and joy. Tasks that bring you joy and satisfaction likely involve your strengths.
• Seek professional guidance: Consult with career counselors, coaches, or mentors. They specialize in identifying strengths. They can provide structured assessments and guidance. With this information, you will recognize and leverage your strengths.
• Keep a journal and practice self-reflection. Write about your experiences, achievements, and moments of satisfaction. Journaling your thoughts can give insight into your innate strengths.
• Experiment and explore. Try new activities or projects. Find out what comes naturally for you. Experimenting in different areas will help you identify strengths. You might not have been unaware of them before.  

Read: Self-management skills and how to improve them 

Developing and enhancing your personal strengths 

Improving your strengths is a process that needs consistent practice. Here are some tips to help you effectively develop your qualities:

• Think about yourself: What you're good at, what you value, and how you behave. Knowing your strengths is the first step toward succesfully improving them.
• Openly ask for feedback: Ask your friends, teachers, or co-workers for feedback. Constructive criticism gives you helpful information. It also helps you focus on areas for self-improvement.
• Regularly practice your strengths: Find ways to use your strengths in your daily life. The more you practice, the better you become. Practice helps you gain confidence and reinforces positive behavior. 
• Set goals: Make specific goals to improve your strengths. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This helps you continuously measure your progress and celebrate achievements.
• Do what you're good at: Choose activities or projects that use your strengths. When you do things you're good at, you'll get better and feel more satisfied. 

Conclusion 

Personal strengths are the qualities that make people unique. They include kindness, resilience, and empathy. They can help you build positive relationships and increase your confidence. Use your personal and professional strengths to succeed in many aspects of your life. 

Take some time to think about your strengths. Discover what makes you stand out and work on improving those qualities.  

Your personal strengths do more than just advance your achievements. They're a way to uplift those around you. Plus, they embody the core Filipino values of resilience, hospitality, and adaptability.  

These traits don't just contribute to individual success. They also strengthen and unify our communities.  

FAQs on personal strengths 

1. What are personal strengths? 
   ⁠Personal strengths are the good things about a person. These may include being kind, strong, and caring. It may also mean having good communication skills, self-awareness, and adaptability. Personal development is a process that can make you feel good and help you succeed. 
2. What are professional strengths? 
   ⁠Professional strengths are the qualities that make people good at their jobs. This includes being able to lead others and knowing how to do your work really well. It also means being on time and getting along with the people you work with.  
3. What are the three greatest personal strengths? 
   ⁠Everyone's three greatest strengths are different. Some people might be strong, adaptable, and communicate well. Others may be creative, determined, and patient. To find your strengths, reflect on your natural talents and what motivates you to do well. 
4. How do your personal strengths affect your career? 
   ⁠Knowing your strengths helps you do well at work. Using them can make you happy and work well with others. For example, good communication skills help your teammates work well together. Being strong helps you face problems and keep going. Knowing and using your strengths at work helps you do better, grow, and feel good about your actions.