By Dawn Onley

Chances are, there is at least one area of your life where you excel. This area is a sweet spot for you, something you do with ease that others might find challenging. It’s your gift, a talent bestowed to you from God.

Chances are you enjoy doing it. We usually enjoy what we’re good at.

You may have always realized your talent, from a young age, or you may have recently discovered it by happenstance. If you are not already working in the field of your gift, you may wish you could devote more time to it. You can, and in a myriad of ways.

Whatever it is that you do well, do it. Do it often. Wake up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later to do it. Learn as much as you can about it. Read about it. Take a class to hone your skills and to learn new ones. Network. Find opportunities. Find people in the field doing it and let them teach you things. Make inroads.

It’s your craft. It’s your God-given talent. It’s also your strategic advantage. There are plenty of writers, but none with your voice or your vision. There are plenty of musicians, but none with your stylings. Plenty of people can teach, but you have a gift of getting through to the toughest of kids.

Whatever it is, work your gift. Focus on it. We wear so many hats and juggle so many things in life that we never have time to fully develop or master anything. This is particularly true for creative people who are gifted in a lot of areas and have trouble choosing which to focus on. Choose. Don’t waste any more time. Don’t spend the next decade still dabbling in any and everything and still clueless about what gift you were supposed to act on. Listen to your heart. And then get to work.

Learn how to brand and market your gift. Find people and organizations who may be willing to pay you for your gift. Become specialized in it. We were all put on this Earth gifted in something, let’s start maximizing our gifts to their full potential.

We need to be deliberate and consistent about our gifts. Even if we have to make a series of small steps to ultimately climb the mountain and get to the top, each step brings us closer. Don’t lose sight and don’t give up.

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently,” said Tony Robbins.

Work your gift. Someone is waiting for what you have to offer.