I *think* I just came up with a genius way to figure out YOUR genius.
First, have you heard of “Zone of Genius?”
Created by author Gay Hendricks, the theory posits that when we leverage our innate abilities – the things that come naturally to us – for work, we will excel (and presumably make more money.)
This theory sounds good…in theory.
But in practice, I’ve found it can be difficult for some of us to figure out what we’re naturally great at. Why? We’re out of practice because of disempowering jobs and/or a depressed state of mind.
Plus, the concept of “genius” adds extra pressure; that voice of self-doubt inevitably creeps in…just because I’m great at something, does it make me a GENIUS?
Let’s define genius, and then I’ll get into a new way to find your zone.
In my opinion, genius is something you’ve become excellent at because you do it all the time, without trying hard (it comes naturally.)
So, what’s something you do all the time, without trying hard?
👉 What if that something was… your neurosis? (Or what I like to call, “mind trash.”) Things like people-pleasing, perfectionism, or even self-doubt.
Seriously, hear me out!
It’s something you do (or in this case, feel/think), regularly..without even trying to do it on purpose!
Chances are, you’ve become pretty awesome at it….
I believe our mind trash can become our zone of genius when it incorporates the following elements:
- Use it to solve a problem
- For people we care about
- In the right environment
- Where we can manage it properly
I’ll show you how I came up with this idea and hopefully, you’ll see how it can apply to your life:
I was in the process of editing this podcast session I did with my client Deidre, who was at a crossroads in her business. As I listened to Deidre explain her problem, I honestly had no clue how to solve it.
And yet, I heard myself in the recording unravel it beautifully. I was really friggin’ good at coaching her. Maybe even genius? 🙃
How the heck was I able to problem-solve in that moment with Deidre, but then afterward, be unsure of how I would’ve coached her?
I realized I was an excellent coach because my people-pleasing proclivities had been activated during that session with her.
Being put on the spot – ie urgency – triggered my people-pleasing which then led me to quickly come up with solutions for Deidre.
I reflected on the amazing conferences and events we used to put on for Ladies Get Paid back in the days of IRL. I was an amazing producer because I wanted to make people happy and used my anxiety to proactively think through and address any potential obstacles.
Here’s the critical piece: to transform our mind trash into our zone of genius, we must incorporate all four elements I laid out.
Without managing it properly, you lose energy. When directed to people or problems you don’t care about, you lose motivation.
That’s why I’m so passionate about my Take Out Your Mind Trash program, which starts THIS Sunday (November 17th), a month-long live coaching experience that will give you a personalized plan to do what I just shared in this newsletter.
Speaking of sharing, reply back and let me know if my theory resonates with you. I really want to know if I’m on to something here…
Or, comment on this LinkedIn post and we can connect 🙂
We got this 💪
x Claire
Deidre came to me feeling unmotivated about her business. She’d been successful for the last five years, business just falling into her lap without any marketing.
But now things have dried up and Deidre is at a crossroads. She hates marketing and sales with a passion and given the lack of new clients, her self-esteem has taken a hit. She’s wondering if she should just give it up to become a W2 employee again. But in her heart, she knows that’s not what she wants.
Well, what DOES Deidre want? And how can she get it? Take a listen as we work through it – together.
