What to Do When Your Strengths Are Keeping You in the Same Kind of Work

If you’re feeling trapped by what you’re good at, don’t immediately try to reinvent yourself.

Start by understanding what your strength really represents.

Then find places where those underlying abilities can solve different problems.

Take on work that adds a new dimension.

Tell people what you want to learn.

Build a second reputation.

Accept some temporary beginner discomfort.

And be selective about opportunities that simply keep proving what you already know.

Your strengths should be career leverage, not career boundaries.

The fact that people know what you’re good at is an advantage.

Your job is to make sure they also discover what else you can become good at.

The goal isn’t to stop being known for what you’re good at. It’s to make sure your strengths open new doors instead of quietly deciding which doors you’re allowed to enter.