Strengths Reflection Guide: Understanding What You’re Really Great At
Many of the people I coach tell me the same thing: they struggle to describe their strengths or what they are good at. They can talk about past achievements or what they enjoy at work, but when it comes to naming what they are great at, things often feel vague or uncertain.
This is completely normal! Most of us are not taught how to recognise our strengths, let alone articulate them. That’s why I created this Strengths Reflection Guide, which you can now download in the resource library. It pulls together some of the most reliable ways to uncover what energises you, what others consistently notice about you, and what you want to develop next.
1. Start With Flow State
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi introduced the idea of "flow" as the mental state where you are fully absorbed in what you are doing and lose track of time. Flow happens when your skills match the level of challenge in front of you, and it is one of the clearest signals of your natural strengths.
A good starting point is to ask yourself:
When was the last time you completely lost track of time while working? What exactly were you doing, and why did it absorb you so much?
Your answer will give you important clues about the type of work that energises you and where your strengths naturally show up.
2. Know Your Radiators and Drains
Our energy is shaped not just by what we do but by who we spend time with. In coaching, I often use the idea of "radiators" and "drains."
Radiators are the people who lift you. You walk away from them with more energy. Drains are the ones who leave you feeling depleted.
Understanding these patterns helps you identify the environments and relationships that support your strengths and those that block them.
Reflect on:
Who has been a radiator for you recently? Who has been a drain? What patterns do you see, and is there anything you could do to improve those relationships?
3. Look at the Feedback You Can’t Argue With
Feedback is one of the most consistent ways to uncover strengths, especially the comments that stick with you. Not the generic "great job," but the specific things people highlight about your behaviour, attitude, or performance.
Ask yourself:
What is one piece of feedback you’ve received that you couldn’t argue with? What does it tell you about a strength you bring consistently?
4. Explore Common Strengths and Choose Your Top Five
Gallup’s StrengthsFinder is one of the most widely used tools for identifying strengths. I have included a list of 20 commonly cited strengths in the guide, along with short descriptions to help you reflect.
A helpful exercise is to:
Highlight your top five, then choose one strength you want to lean into more over the next month. What might that look like in practice?
This step helps move your reflection into real development and action.
5. Write Your Way Forward
Self-awareness is only useful if it leads to something. The final section of the guide brings everything together.
Consider:
What is one meaningful change you want to make in how you work or show up in the next 30 days?
Whether it is a habit, mindset shift, or a behaviour you want to build, using the SMART framework will help you make it real rather than vague.
Download the Resource
You can download the full Strengths Reflection Guide here: Strengths Reflection Guide PDF
It is designed to be practical, easy to use, and something you can revisit every few months to track your growth.
If you want help unpacking your reflections or exploring your strengths in more depth, feel free to get in touch. Coaching is most powerful when it shines a light on the things you do best, even when you can’t see them yourself.
