040: Be a Genius • Passion Design Project

Summary::

I love this topic. I’ve seen it come up so much since I finished the book “The Big Leap.”

You might be thinking, excellent and genius, hey they both sound good. And you’d be right. Look a little closer though. Tell me which word you’d rather be described by?

“Oh Mary, she’s excellent at taking photos. She definitely knows what she’s doing.”

“Jenny? Jenny is a straight genius photographer! I’ve never seen someone be able to tell a story through a photo like she does.”

I don’t know about you but I’m hiring Jenny.

You probably know some people who are like Jenny. Those people who are just perfectly suited for what they do and shine in the role. You look at them and get a little jealous that they seemed to figure out living life at it’s fullest. That’s what we’re going for.

To explain more plainly, most of us decide to spend our time doing the things we’re merely good at, not the things we’re fantastic at. However, by aligning your life with that 1 or 2 things you are a genius at, you will feel more excited and get much deeper satisfaction out of work that you do, which will in turn spill over into all parts of your life.

How do you figure out your zone of genius? Truth be told, it’s not always the easiest thing to figure out, but don’t fret, it’s definitely figureoutable!

First and most importantly, think about what you want to be remembered for at the end of your life. What impact do you want to have on this Earth? What legacy would you absolutely love to leave? To make it more intense…if you only had a month to live, what would you want to accomplish and leave behind?

If your answer is fairly generic, don’t worry. As you work backward, it will become more clear what your zone of genius area is.

So let’s go on. Answer a few more questions.

If you could spend each day working on anything, anything at all, what would you do?

Do you have any really unique qualities that when used, totally light you up?

What do you get the most energy from doing?

What can you spend hours and hours doing without getting bored?

If you aren’t answering these questions with your current job, you most likely are operating more within your zone of excellence. Totally fine, but the goal is to add more genius to your life as soon as possible.

I was talking to a girlfriend this morning who was telling me how she envies people who can do things better than her and was once telling a friend who was amazing with kids that she wished she was as talented as her. And the woman teasingly replied with, “Hey, stop trying to steal my gifts, use your own!”

But isn’t that the truth! We are given these special and particular gifts that we have and often we try to be good at everything when really we are simply called to be absolutely amazing at our one or two zones of genius.

And I’m not making light of this, it’s often hard to jump into your zone of genius. Even though it should be a no-brainer, we usually get so comfortable doing what we are simply good at that we have a hard time changing modes.

The end of last year I decided I was going to give this idea BIG focus. I was no longer going to be the jack-of-all-trades role I once thrived in. The number one thing this meant for me was more No’s.

Once I truly put focus on what I did want to accomplish in 2017, I gave up my Fashion Design job and my Ski Instructing job in the same week. Two things I was really good and competent at, but that were not bringing me steps closer to the Haley I truly want to be.

What is bringing me closer? More interaction with passionate people. Putting out content I believe in. Creating amazing art. Traveling around the world getting to know people and places. Encouraging others to go for the life they want by showing that it’s possible!

And no, it’s not a walk in the park or a piece of cake, although most days I wish it was. Following your dreams, your passion, your zone of genius is hard frikkin’ work, but you better believe it’s more fulfilling, exciting, and incredible than living smaller than I was meant to.

So I’m encouraging you today to find places that you can step into your zone of genius. Maybe that means hanging out with someone you admire, or interacting in blogs you like, or trying out new recipes or a cool workout you never have. Just do it! It could truly be the start of something amazing, and taking any sort of action towards your dream life is the first step!

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I’d love to know what you’d like to hear more of, or any guests you’d like me to have. You can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.