Discover Your Strengths and Talents

Your Interests Versus Your Talents

At midlife, the disparity between what interests you and what you excel at matters less. At 20, it’s critical to know that a passion for singing won’t build a career unless you have genuine talent. Greene says many people in their mid-20s come to vocational counseling after their first career choice—the one they were most interested in—turns out to be a lousy fit.

“But when you’re sizing something up as a new hobby in midlife, that isn’t so important,” says Tinsley. “I live in a town that has a small orchestra, and most likely none of the people in it play well enough that they could have been professional musicians. But that doesn’t mean they can’t find the experience deeply rewarding. One of the big advantages of midlife is that you have an option to dabble in things, without it mattering whether you’re any good at it.”

Acting on your superpowers, even in a casual way, can open doors, Greene says. “I worked with a woman who was a college admissions director, and pretty happy,” he recalls. “Testing revealed that she had an uncommonly strong aptitude for design. When she and her husband relocated and she started a job hunt, she took an interior design class, thinking it would just be a time filler. But after a week of classes, she was hooked, and has since shifted to a full-time design career. “She knew she’d found a better fit, and has never looked back.”

There are plenty of famously late bloomers who took decades to stumble into their most powerful skill sets: Ray Kroc launched McDonald’s at age 53 and Laura Ingalls Wilder was in her 60s when she published Little House in the Big Woods.

Start With Simple Questions

Wondering where to begin? Certainly, professional testing is one option. “People come away with objective information about their aptitude patterns, not just single skills,” says Greene. For instance, there are people who are great with numbers, he explains, but also people who are good with numbers and have high levels of idea production. “So one might thrive as an accountant, and another as an investigative financial reporter.”

While often there aren’t big surprises in the test results—people who aren’t good at selling likely figured that out well before midlife—ancillary or secondary aptitudes and skills, like leadership or music or thinking three-dimensionally can emerge. “And when they’re unused, they can be sources of restlessness and dissatisfaction,” Greene says. Testing can confirm a gut feeling you’ve always had, and give you confidence to contemplate a switch.

If you decide to pursue testing, “check in with local colleges and universities,” Tinsley recommends. “They are often training grad students to administer vocational tests and can do it pretty cheaply.” And don’t rule out a simpler way: Ask friends and family members to be frank and tell you what they think you’re best at. Women, he says, are especially likely to sell themselves a little short. A friendly reminder about past successes where your powers shone through to others, even if you’re less aware, can launch you toward new endeavors.

And when aptitude-test results do reveal unconsidered possibilities, this kind of self-discovery often leads to subtle tweaks rather than major upheaval. “People in midlife are often focused on financial responsibilities, like paying the mortgage, and big career shifts are pretty challenging,” Greene says. “But they can make incremental shifts in their jobs and avocations that do make them feel more fulfilled.”

Finally, Greene cautions, don’t let anyone discourage you from pursuing something you’re passionate about. “We never say, ‘You can’t do this’ or ‘You can’t do that,’ because you don’t have the aptitude. You’re just going to have to work harder.”

For Tinsley, the most important part of your quest to discover unused talents, interests and aptitudes is to consider your search as a journey, not a destination— no matter how clichéd that sounds.

“There just isn't going to be a final answer. We may find a pursuit that is deeply engaging for two or three years, and then something else calls to us.” Most people, he says, are at their best when they simply try to be open to new avenues. “A lot of people who seem to be happiest and most content are those who allow themselves to evolve.”