While everyone has their share of abilities and strengths, not everyone is in a position where their talents are being put to good use. Too many people are stuck in jobs that ask too little of them and thus are a waste of their talent. If you are worried you might be one of those people, check out the following six crucial signs you are wasting your talent.
1. You have nothing to look forward to
A good sign of a position that matches your talent is a steady flow of fresh, intriguing challenges. If you feel as if every day, week, and month are exactly alike, there’s an excellent chance you aren’t where you should be. At least some novelty in tasks and challenges is needed.
2. Your job satisfaction has diminished
Being tasked with challenging, meaningful work is perhaps the biggest key to job satisfaction. While there are certainly other sources of a loss of satisfaction in your work, being asked to do too little is a common cause. Losing motivation and inspiration for a job may mean you have outgrown your current position.
3. You are bored
Ideally, a job should stretch and test your abilities. While being bored may be better than being overwhelmed and anxious, it is still a sign that you aren’t being challenged enough. Boredom can also develop into other problems, such as apathy and poor focus. Almost no one can remain fully engaged at a job that asks too little of them.
4. You feel burned out
While feeling burned out is more commonly associated with overwork and difficult projects, letting your skills go to waste can also be the source. Wasting your talents is dispiriting and depressing. As a result, you may feel completely burned out even if your job isn’t particularly demanding.
5. You’re not learning
Learning is an essential part of growth, development, and getting all you can from your skills. There are many ways to learn in a job. Your boss, colleagues, and the work itself can all serve as paths to learning. But if none of these seem to still be sources of learning for you, it is likely your talent is going to waste.
6. The grass looks much greener
The best sign of wasted talent might simply be the feeling that now is the time to move on to something new. Whether you feel a wish to be assigned a new set of duties, move to a new company, or even switch career fields entirely, the impulse to do something different is a strong indicator you are no longer in a place where is is possible to make the most of your talents.
Making sure you aren’t wasting your talent isn’t just about getting a higher salary or increasing your job satisfaction — although those might be benefits. Getting the most you can out of your abilities is valuable for its own sake. It’s a shame when someone leaves their talents undeveloped for a significant time. Don’t allow yourself to be one of those people.