I have a strong sense of logic.  I like to crunch numbers and playing mind and logic games. I consider this a great skill, but logic/analytical skills in themselves won’t help me to become financially independent!

Having Great Ideas that Didn’t Take

I come up with what I consider great ideas, but I don’t communicate those ideas very well.  Often, I’ll bring an idea up to a manager or friend and they won’t get it, then later someone else will think of my idea but they are able to create some buzz around it, thus enabling the newly re-discovered idea to be applauded and implemented (and yes, I hate that this happens to me).

So based on a long history of these kind of experiences, I’ve come to the conclusion that my weakness is my communication and marketing skills.  Since I now know the enemy, I decided to use blogging as the weapon of choice for combating my weakness. In fact, trying to defeat this weakness is my third main reason that I blog, and blog often.  My 1st and 2nd reasons are to play with the technology and to help others recognize a path for a middle-income member (like myself) to become financially independent.

Why I Blog Almost Every Day

Since I’ve uncovered my weakness through analyzing my past, The simplest and most entertaining way to combat my communication weakness is by blogging.

After almost two years of blogging, I’ve notice that my communication and marketing skills have increased in the following ways:

• I think of words faster during a conversation with others.  I use to stumble for the correct words when speaking to other, but now those words just slip off of my tongue like a bicycle slipping on ice.
• Both my email and IM communications are easier and more clear for the recipients to read.
• I have confidence in my words.  I’m a blogger and this is now what I do, so words and I are finally friends.
• I’ve learned to think outside of the box.  New ideas come to me all the time at work.
• I believe that in some ways I’ve become smarter, and think that writing has kept me sharper than if I didn’t write.

With My New Skill, Will I Become Financially Independent?

With my new skills, I find it easier to talk to strangers.  Talking to others creates and enables opportunities that would not exist for you if were just kept to yourself.  So just in this small side effect from blogging, my odds of financial independence has greatly increased.

Since I have increased my weaknesses, now I can focus on my strengths while maintaining my new skills.  I’m hoping that with my strengths and enhanced weaknesses, I’m a more marketable individual.

Getting Help if You Have Weaknesses

What if you are the opposite of me?  Let’s say you have great communication skills, but horrible math/logical/analytical skills?  What can you do?

First, starting with the basics, try learning your skill weakness again.  Sometimes when you are younger, too many other distractions exist to focus on something that requires a lot of focus (like math, logic, etc).  You may find that you now have the patience and attitude for learning in your area of weakness.

Second, if find that you still don’t like your area of weakness, bring in others!  Friends, family, paid contractors… whatever it takes!  Keep an open mind during your encounters with your weaknesses can go a long way to fix those problems!

Readers, do you have any weaknesses that you care to share?

Thanks for helping me on my path to become financial independent.

MR