catalyst challenge, day 12: personal superpowers

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Relaxing Music for the month: Awakening: Liquid Mind (12:11) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4558Ml1RuQ

Note: Please enjoy the relaxing music while completing the assessment!

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Personal Superpowers

The Personal Superpowers activity will have you define your personal superpowers, your natural patterns for thinking, feeling, and doing.  Think of your superpowers as attitudes and characteristics you can employ all day long; you get energy from engaging in these attitudes and characteristics rather than get drained.  Your personal superpowers are developed and used based on a combination of your strengths, unique capabilities, and inspired action; the more you use your superpowers, the less effort needed to engage and the better you get at employing these superpowers. Your Superpowers will most likely include the many of the characteristics you’ve already explored through the exploration of your Personality Types, Strengths, Values, and Motivators. This activity was inspired by “Personal Superpowers” from Kerri Smith’s book, “Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life” (with descriptions):

If you don’t know where to start in identifying your Personal Superpowers, use the two lists below as a start. You can start by identifying specific words that resonate with you most from list #1; you can also review list #2 to identify phrases that describe things that come naturally for you, things you enjoy, things that you find easy, and/or things that others say you do well. Your Superpowers may even be specific gifts and talents that you have. Again, feel free to use the words from previous activities to describe your Superpowers. Your goal is to identify THREE (3) to FIVE (5) Superpowers that you have, then write a sentence or two that describes each of your superpowers and how you use your them. Please note: If there are words/phrases that best describe a superpower for you that isn’t listed, PLEASE make sure to add them to your list.

If it helps, how would you answer the following questions:

• What do you do exceptionally well?
• What do other people ask you to do over and over again?
• What activities do you enjoy so much that you lose track of time?

Your answers to these questions could also be helpful in identifying your Personal Superpowers. Remember, your Superpowers are the things you do exceptionally well, without effort. Again, feel free to use a combination of the two Lists below to identify your THREE (3) to FIVE (5) Superpowers.

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Superpower Word List #1

Action-oriented Adaptable Adventurous Ambitious Analytical Appreciative Articulate Artistic Athletic Attentive Authentic Calm Candid Capable Caring Cautious Charismatic Charming Clear-headed Clever Commitment Communicative Compassionate Competitive Confident Conscientious Considerate Cooperative Courageous Creative Curious Daring Decisive Dedicated Dependable Detail-oriented Devoted Determined Diligent Disciplined

Educated Effective Efficient Emotionally Intelligent Empathetic Endurance Energetic Entertaining Enthusiastic Experienced Expressive Faithful Fair Fast Flexible Focused Formal Forthright Frank Friendly Generous Goal-oriented Grateful Hard-working Helpful Honest Hopeful Humble Humorous Imaginative Independent Ingenuity Industrious Innovative Insightful Inspirational Integrity Intelligent Intuitive Inventive

Involved Joyous Kind Knowledgeable Leadership Learning Lively Logical Loving Loyal Mature Methodical Meticulous Modest Motivated Natural Leader Neat Objective Observant Open-minded Optimistic Orderly Organized Original Outgoing Outspoken Painstaking Passionate Patient Peaceful People skills Perceptive Perseverance Persistent Persuasive Polite Practical Precise Pro-active Problem solver

Punctual Prudent Realistic Reliable Resilient Respectful Responsible Responsive Resourceful Seasoned Self-confident Self-control Self-directed Self-disciplined Sensible Serious Sincere Sociable Speaking Spiritual Spontaneous Straightforward Strategic Systematic Tactful Team-oriented Thinking Thorough Thoughtful Thrifty Tolerant Trustworthy Versatile Visionary Warm Well-rounded Willing Willpower Wisdom

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Superpower Phrase List #2

Being driven towards action Adaptable to change Being adventurous, daring, and a risk-taker Analyzing data and information Appreciating others Being artistic and creative Assisting others in times of need Getting people to smile and/or laugh Being charming and charismatic Coaching or counseling others Comforting people who are hurting Communicating effectively Connecting people together Conserving resources Engaging in learning activities Creating and following a budget Creating specific objectives and outcomes Curating/compiling information Dealing well with adversity/failure Dedicating/devoting life to specific thing(s) Delegating the right tasks to the right people Paying attention to details Devoting life to others Diffusing stressful situations Editing/checking for mistakes Writing/editing efficiently and effectively Embracing creativity Emotionally intelligent Empathetic towards others Empowering others to be better Encouraging/appreciating/motivating others Enthusiastic about life Establishing rapport with new people (prospects, team members, etc.) Evaluating performance of others Explaining complex problems easily Being focused and disciplined Being a forward/future thinker Gathering and assigning resources and people Generating new ideas Fixing/repairing technology Fixing/repairing things in general Marketing and selling stuff Having great strength and energy Helping others become the best version of themselves Being a great teammate/team player Having an optimistic view on life Helping others overcome challenges Helping others see life in a different way Identifying and fulfilling goals and dreams Improving function/increasing beauty through design

Inspiring and motivating others Keeping people on task Learning from mistakes Listening with interest and intent Researching information Solving/troubleshooting problems Volunteering/helping others out Maintains records and information Making people laugh Making quick and constructive decisions Managing money Managing people Managing processes and procedures Negotiating win/win scenarios Being non-judgmental/tolerant towards others Being open-minded Organizing/editing words or numbers on paper Organizing physical space Passionate about work/life Patient with others Performing for others Physically active Pitching in even when I don’t have to (or when nobody else will) Planning events and activities Presenting or persuading through writing and/or speaking Promoting products, ideas, or people Providing clear, helpful feedback to others Providing constructive criticism Providing effective training and development Remaining calm in dangerous situations Recognizing patterns Recognizing the positive contribution of others Remembering names and faces Respecting yourself and others Sensing the needs of others Serving something bigger than yourself Setting goals and following through on them Simplifying complex information Finding solutions to problems/issues Supporting and encouraging others Taking time to make a personal connection Taking work off other people’s plates Training/teaching others Being thrifty Verbalizes ideas clearly and concisely Visionary leader Welcomes others with open arms Working well with others Working with diverse groups of people

If you want another way to find your Superpowers, check out this video:

• Finding Your Superpowers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFYu-kPfN08

Personal Superpower Test

These questions are useful to see if your Superpower is actually a Superpower.  Once you have your list of 3 to 5 Superpower, use the following list of questions to determine if they are truly your superpowers:

• Is this superpower something that comes naturally to me?
• Am I better at this superpower than most people I know?
• Does this superpower help people?
• Do I enjoy using this superpower?

If you answered “Yes” to all four questions, then it’s most likely a Superpower.

Once you’ve completed the (Optional) Superpower Test, answer these two questions for each of your Superpowers:

• How do you use your Superpowers?
• Where do you use them (specific places, tasks, roles, etc.)?

Although not required, take a few minutes to think about and reflect on these two questions:

• What is your KRYPTONITE (i.e., the external obstacles that weaken your superpowers)?
• What would you need to do to use your superpowers more to have a more significant impact on others.

For this activity, you’ll need to identify your THREE (3) to FIVE (5) superpowers, then write a sentence or two that describes each of your superpowers and how you use your superpower.

Have fun!

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Bill’s Personal Superpower Results

1. Creative Curator: I can read an article and/or book, connect with a different article and/or book, and find a way to create a tool or activity that might help people learn something new about themselves. I am always coming up with someone new and different.
2. Action-oriented: I am not someone who sits and waits for things to happen; I believe that you create your own luck but taking some type of action, putting yourself out into the world. I’ve always lived by the quote, “It’s not what you know, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
3. Values-driven: Constantly reflecting on the things that are most important in my life. My values guide my decisions on a daily basis, making it easier to say “Hell Yes” to the things that align with my values and “Hell No” to those things that don’t.
4. Transparency: Make sure that everyone I meet sees me for who I am – the good and the bad. There’s value in putting yourself out into the world, warts and all. Being vulnerable is a strength, not a weakness. I live by the motto, “What you see is what you get.”
5. Improvisation: Because I’ve done hundreds, maybe thousands, of Life Design Catalyst trainings, workshops, and presentations, I have been able to get good at adjusting things on the fly, based on the “audience.” Even though I might have an agenda, I’m always flexible to change it, depending on the flow.

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Catalyst Challenge Worksheet

Here’s the link to download:

• Microsoft Word: catalyst challenge-know yourself worksheet, 2-6-22
• PDF: catalyst challenge-know yourself worksheet, 2-6-22

If you have any questions/comments/thoughts, feel free to contact me at whjohnso@uncg.edu.

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