What is my Zone of Genius?
What if there is a difference between what we’re good at, and what we actually enjoy doing?
These two things of course can overlap.
We may assume that they always overlap - that if we’re good at something, it must mean we enjoy it. But this isn’t the case
This tool, adapted from the psychologist Gay Hendricks , can help us to identify the skills and activities that are in our ‘Zone of Genius’, the one’s we are truly amazing at, AND that we love.
Definitions of the Four areas
Zone of Incompetence: Activities that you really don’t enjoy, and you’re not very good at. You find these activities a struggle and they can feel draining.
Zone of Competence: Activities that you can do just fine. If you were grading yourself you’d get a solid C. And, they also bring you joy. It might be, for example, organising that spreadsheet. You can do it ok, and it brings you joy to have it all organised and tidy.
Zone of Excellence: Activities that you really are excellent at, better than others, in fact. And you don’t love doing them. If you look at your calendar for the week and it’s full of these activities, you feel a slight dread. They don’t give you joy.
Zone of Genius: Activities that you are particularly amazing at, that you love to do so much that often when you are doing them time and space evaporate! You are really in your ‘flow state’ here.
HOW CAN YOU USE THIS CHART?
STEP ONE
The first step is exploring how these areas show up for you in your life, work and activities. It’s like carrying out a research project, to gather the data for yourself about what things fit into which areas for you. Here are some questions that you may want to sit with a while, journal over or talk to your nearest and dearest about.
Can you identify what might be in each of these areas for you?
Looking back over the last couple of weeks, at everything you’ve done in your calendar, it can be work, life, hobbies, activities, are you able to move them into each of these sections?
How about noticing on a day to day basis, what are the activities that you get really absorbed in? What are the ones where you feel in flow, and the world around you disappears?
What activities are you great at doing, but you really don’t look forward to and you feel utterly drained afterwards?
STEP TWO
Now you have had time to explore, to investigate and to gather information to fill your chart, you can now reflect on what the chart is telling you…
What do you notice?
What is each section telling you?
How much time do you spend in your day to day life in each of these areas?
Is there anything surprising here?
Is there anything you would like the change or rebalance?
STEP THREE
Now you’ve had a chance to reflect on your chart, and to soak up the learnings…
How would you like to move forwards?
Are there any ways that you can make more space for your Zone of Genius?
What activities would you like more of, or less of in your life?
What would support you to make these shifts and changes?