By now you’ve probably read, or at least heard of, books like Go Put Your Strengths to Work, that suggest the way to success lies with our ability to use strengths, not weaknesses.  But it’s more than just finding your strengths.  It’s tapping into your passion for what you’re doing.  Almost all of us are good at the things we love to do.  (There are exceptions of course, I’d love to play football, but simply lack the skills.)  However I love to write, and that’s where I think I produce my best work (although some might disagree!)

So maybe it’s time we applied Kelly Johnson’s advice and simply build what we believe in.  If that sounds like a good idea, then check out my latest Upmarket column:

“Build only what you believe in.”  That was advice given by Kelly Johnson, who designed both the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird planes.

It’s so simple.  But do any of us actually follow it?

If we look at all the stories of divorces where someone said, “I knew better, but…”  Or the number of times people take a job just because of a pay raise, only to be miserable weeks later.   Then it surely seems “not many” is the answer.  It’s so bad that we even have a term (buyer’s remorse) for buying something that we later regret.

We spend a lot of our lives pursuing things that we don’t believe in.

Maybe it’s time we stop.

image provided by NASA

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