How to Use Soft Skills to Embrace Your Perfections

We recently had some new hires at work, and a veteran gave them priceless advice: Make the first cut on work, make it deep, and make it stick! His warning meant that your in-box will be so filled with meaningful priorities that you won’t have time to get lost in distractions.

That advice isn’t limited to productivity. Are you working overtime to hide, minimize, or cover up something about yourself that makes you uncomfortable? Here’s a radical idea: What if you decided to redirect all the time and energy you’re spending and simply accept that imperfection? What if That Thing isn’t that big of a deal after all?!

Let me tell you how one woman changed from spending a lifetime avoiding, minimizing, and denying her imperfection, and how that decision made her a millionaire.

Barbara Corcoran Admits Her Secret

Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran has a secret: She has dyslexia. But she’s turned that secret into a superpower. Here’s her thread from Twitter:

“Dyslexia made me a millionaire. Here’s why: I always felt like the dumb kid in school, but it taught me great empathy. I never look down at anyone who’s struggling, and that’s made me an even better leader.

Dyslexia was fuel to my entrepreneurial fire. I became more creative, more social, more competitive, more flexible, and even more determined to prove I deserved a seat at the table.

I was insecure about my differences for years until I learned that the key to overcoming insecurity was to embrace it. The more I embraced it, the more confident I looked and felt. This confidence has carried me through my entire life.”

How to Use Soft Skills to Say So Long to Self-Sabotage

Does Barbara Corcoran’s story sound familiar? Do you also have something (or many things) that make you feel self-conscious or unsure? And are you letting That Thing hold you back?

In the November series, So Long to Self-Sabotage, we’re talking about weeding out behaviors that might get in our way. One thing that struck me about Barbara’s story is that she couldn’t change the underlying issue of dyslexia. What she could change was her mindset. Rather than seeing herself as less than, she let go of that thought and decided to accept herself.

Do you have something unchangeable that you’ve tried to gloss over? Let’s examine a few soft skills examples and how they can help you turn around common mindsets:

For instance:

1. You might think your lack of the perfect upbringing determines how far you can go. Instead, be creative and start imagining, “What if I stopped spending my time going over the past and redirected my energy? What are the possibilities?”
2. You could still hear the voice of someone who said you wouldn’t amount to much. Use healthy self-esteem and decide those words aren’t a headline in your story—they’re a footnote. Declare, “I am smart and empowered. I can handle tough situations and difficult people.”
3. Perhaps you haven’t been around people with a strong vision for the future. Instead of accepting those behaviors as the norm, write three goals, preferably ones that are in different stages of actualization. You’ll quickly see how you are making smart choices and being flexible to keep going when roadblocks appear.
4. Maybe you think or process differently than others. Instead of judging yourself or worrying that those characteristics will hold you back, show yourself compassion. Like Barbara Corcoran, your unique approach can be an asset. As General George S. Patton said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking!”

Everyone has some kind of flaw they hope others don’t notice, even multi-millionaire TV hosts. Reclaim the time you’ve spent covering up what makes you feel awkward, and don’t let perceived imperfections determine your destiny. Embrace every shortcoming, mistake, and weakness—they’re part of what makes you human—and say so long to insecurities.

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