Have I ever told you that I was a gamer? I sure have.
A couple of weeks ago I did Gallup’s Strengths Finder test. It was not a personality test, rather it shows what your five strongest strengths out of the 34 that they have.
My top five strengths are strategic, adaptability, communication, maximiser, and belief.
At a glance, it is easy to believe that I have strengths in belief and communication. I have always known that I have strong values, and the fact that I have a blog and like to talk to people justify the communication part. But strategic? I never felt that way. Adaptability? Sure, you can say that being flexible is a strength, but I never actually see it. Maximiser? I don’t even know what that is.
Thus, I begin a new quest: finding how my strengths fit in what I’m doing.
And here’s the catch: I have finally realised why I was (and am) such a good gamer. My strengths are perfect for me to be one.
I used to believe that I have innate abilities in gaming. My Dad was a gamer himself. He always beats me in a game of billiard using his left hand (he is right-handed), and he can spin the bowling ball like crazy. It seems that I am the only one in my family who received this gaming ability. None of my two older sisters play games, or at least, not as good as I was (or am).
A couple of days ago my second sister introduced me to Angry Birds. It’s not a new game, I know, but at that time I was stressed with assignment and I needed something to take my minds off my studies. So after playing it, I was hooked.
I spent the first day unlocking all the levels. And I spent the second day to perfect each level.
Let me explain.
In playing games, I didn’t play to only finish a mission. Of course, at first I would finish all of them and that’s it, but I would go back a second time to perfect everything that’s left. I am a maximiser, without even knowing so.
And yes, I did manage to get three stars (the highest scores) for all Angry Birds’ levels.
To think about it, I am highly strategic as well. If one method doesn’t work, I would device other strategies to get that three stars. I would try throwing the bird 10 different times to see the results, and act accordingly. All’s done to just play Angry Birds!
And you know what? Angry Birds has about 5 different types of birds thrown. There are a main red bird, a white bird that can drop egg, a black bird that can serve as a bomb, a blue bird that can multiply itself into three little birds, and a yellow bird that can gain super speed. And according to the birds that are given in each level, I need to change my ways of playing the game accordingly. I was adapting to the situation, without even knowing about it.
That’s why I went back to finish Final Fantasy VIII five times to get all the limit breaks, weapons, cards, and side missions, while making all characters’ levels into 100. That’s why I married all five girls in Harvest Moon. That’s why I could play a lot of games without getting the techniques jumbled. That’s why I was (still am) good at games; I would use 1001 strategies in order to perfect it. I don’t believe in getting defeated; it would hurt my pride to do so.
I have just realised that I’m good in learning something new. Give me time to familiarise myself with anything – a game, a software, or a sport and I would show results. That’s why I’m able to play ski with good skills despite doing it for the first time. That’s why I’m able to master a game quickly.
My next quest is to find out how these strengths are able to be translated in the real working world. That way I’m one step closer to making my dream job.
If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend doing Gallup’s Strengths Finder test. It enables you to maximise your true potentials in life.
What are your strengths? Have you utilised your strengths in real life situations? Share your stories in the comment section below.
