Don't Announce Your Strengths / Admit Your Weaknesses

A strategy is a plan for action, so actively strategize your plan to build your confidence.

Every one of us has certain personal strengths.  These are areas that you excel in or are naturally easy for you to do.  Every one of us also has areas in which we have to work harder than others and may never be as good as someone else.  In order to feel secure and have confidence, knowing strengths and admitting weaknesses is a big part of this process. This understanding provides an honest opinion about the things you are good in and what areas need improvement. 

Knowing Strengths
The areas in which you are strong will shine through to others.  Even if people do not praise you the way you feel they should, there is no reason to go out of your way to remind people that you are good at something.  Does it bother you when people brag?  Confident individuals do not need to remind others of their strengths.  Most people see you are good at something and know it.  People respect others who are good at something yet do not promote and boast about their strengths.

Admitting Weaknesses
Conversely, if you are not as good at something admitting weaknesses will show you understand you need improvement.  Admitting weaknesses is the first step to improving them.  People respect a person that acknowledges they have weaknesses.  It shows honesty and humility.

Important Note: Difference Between Admitting You Need To Improve Verses Having A Defeatist Attitude
Although it is important to admit areas you need to improve on, be careful with how you admit your weaknesses to others. There is a fine line between admitting you are not good at something and having a defeatist attitude.  By admitting weaknesses with a defeatist attitude, you will begin to believe that can never improve upon your weaknesses.

Example:
If you are not good at baseball and are talking about your baseball skills with your friends, the difference between admitting your weakness and taking a defeatist attitude might sound like:

Defeatist: “ I’m not very good at baseball. I am always the worst one on my
team.”

Correct Attitude:   I know I’m not playing well. I am going to practice to get
better.


By using the “Correct Attitude” you are only admitting it is not your strength, however, you are working to improve.  By stating it this way, you acknowledge to others you need improvement instead of using a “Defeatist Attitude” which might cause you to feel negatively about yourself.

Knowing strengths and admitting weaknesses shows understanding and confidence.