Talents are natural gifts. You do something with ease while others strain.
Skills are learned. They take time, effort, and feedback to develop.
In real life the line can blur (it’s the social sciences, not physics). What matters most is the order: find your talent, then stack the right skills underneath it.
You can muscle your way into competence in the wrong lane—degrees, certificates, promotions—and still feel off. Happiness and steady performance come from the mix-and-match: your core talent powered by enabling skills.
Example: If your talent is helping people grow, you’ll need skills like communication, facilitation, writing, or coaching to make that gift useful in the world.
Name one talent that feels true (clues: others ask you for it; you lose track of time doing it).
List 2–3 enabling skills that would make it travel farther.
Design one tiny rep (≤10 minutes) you can repeat this week to train those skills.
Templates to steal
Storytelling talent → outline a 4-step message; edit one paragraph for clarity.
Systems talent → map a 3-box flow; turn a messy task into a checklist.
Bridge-building talent → draft one clean request; practice a boundary line.
Teaching talent → write a 4-step mini-guide; test it with one person and refine the sticky step.
Days 1–3: daily 10-minute rep on Skill #1 that supports your talent.
Days 4–5: keep Skill #1; add a tiny rep for Skill #2.
Days 6–7: review notes; ship one visible outcome (a guide, a checklist, a demo).
After-glow check: each day jot Energy = −2/−1/0/+1/+2. Keep what lifts you; tweak what drains you.
It’s understandable. But ask: Are these skills serving my talent? If not, begin a gentle pivot:
Keep the skills that amplify your gift.
Sunset the ones that consume time without lifting your talent.
Craft your current role to use your talent in micro-ways (a 60-second explainer in standup, a visual before meetings, a quick coaching moment after feedback).
Success isn’t just money or titles. It’s living the life you want—doing work that fits your nature, with skills that make it effective, and a daily rhythm that leaves you more whole.
Which talent have you sidelined while collecting skills?
What single enabling skill would multiply that talent this month?
What 10-minute rep will you schedule today?
— Sandro Formica, PhD
Founder of Permanently Happy (questions at [email protected])
Keynote Speaker | Transforming Leaders & Organizations Through Positive Leadership & Personal Branding | Director, Chief Happiness Officer Certificate Program
Happiness Fundamentals | Needs | Values | Talents & Skills | Thoughts & Beliefs | Emotions | Empathetic Communication | Imagination | Life Purpose | Life Plan
