Simple ways to identify your undiscovered talents

Anthony Frank Hawk was born on May 12, 1968 - a "hyperactive demon child" who regularly terrorised his babysitters, his teachers, and his parents..

When he was eight, his older brother bought him, on a whim, a blue fibreglass hand-me-down skateboard. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Hawk almost single-handedly transformed skateboarding from a kids' parking-lot pastime into a respected sport. He won virtually every skateboarding competition he entered, and before he was twenty, he was considered to be the number one vertical skateboarder in the world.

Today, he has a net worth of $140 million dollars and is by far the most decorated and highest-earning professional skateboarder in history. Outside of earning tens of millions of dollars during his career from endorsements, tournament prizes, appearance fees and more, Tony Hawk has earned an enormous fortune thanks to his eponymous video game, which has generated billions in revenue worldwide.

His story keeps me awake at night. What if his brother had never bought him that skateboard? What if he’d never stood on it, but instead tossed it in a corner and found something to watch on TV?

And what might I actually be amazingly talented at, but I’ll never know because I’ve never tried to do it?

If you’re experiencing an identity crisis - as, apparently, I am - don’t worry; you're not alone. And here’s how you can discover skills and talents you didn’t know you had.

Take a personality test

Personality tests are an effective way to find out the kind of things that you’re passionate about. They can help you to understand patterns in your personality and can help you work out your motivations.

Talk to your friends

Another way to discover your talent is to ask your friends about your qualities - good and bad. Finding out how different people see you can help you can understand the aspects of your personality you might not see otherwise.

Determine what makes you feel strong 

There are some areas of your life where everything feels light and easy. Make sure to use your strengths to find things that make you feel satisfied, motivated, and confident,

Ask your family about the things you loved when you were a child 

The people who have known you the longest are the people who know you best. So, you can ask your family about the things you loved when you were a kid. You loved these things once; you may still love them today. 

Write a journal 

With a journal, you can also list your strengths and weaknesses. So, you can find out the aspects that you want to change and improve. Even more importantly, you can also set goals aligned with your strengths. 

Look for talent in other people 

It is also helpful to look for talent in others - to find inspiration in what they do. Seeing the talent of others can also help you get connections and opportunities and rediscover yourself.

Be ready for change 

As you grow older, your tastes may change, and you can develop other strengths. If you’re open to change, you can survive any challenges that you can encounter in your life. 

Take stock of your music, book, or movie collections 

The media you consume can say a lot about your taste and values. It is an effective identity maker. Your collections of books, movies, and music can tell about your interests and help you discover and nurture your own talents. 

If you know your strengths, you can enhance your self-confidence, determine the interests which can make you happy and satisfied and give more attention to what you need to focus on for a more fulfilling work - and personal - life.

Does anyone have a skateboard I can borrow?