Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently

I think that being a mom (especially a working one) is a rewarding, scary, stressful, fulfilling, daunting, wonderful, overwhelming responsibility. I also think that for me to be the best mom I can be, I need to be the best person I can be. By best I mean happiest and most successful.

I recently read a book by Marcus Buckingham called Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently.

In it, he asks readers to take the Strong Life Test at StrongLifeTest.com, where it will measure the answers against nine life roles and indicate to a reader/test-taker what her Lead Role and Supporting Role are.

I took the test, and as no surprise my leading role was TEACHER. Here’s what the test said about that role:


TEACHER
You begin by asking:
‘What can she learn from this?’


Your best quality:
Your faith in the others’ potential


Your smartest career move:
Any job where you’re paid to facilitate the success of others.


My supporting role turned out to be ADVISOR. Here’s what it said about that role…


ADVISOR
You begin by asking:
‘What is the best thing to do?’


Your best quality:
Your ability to find a solution


Your smartest career move:
Any job where you’re paid to be opinionated


Wow! Right on target! And, this is stuff I’ve always known. Some of my unhappiest days were in my past when I was in a position where my employer at that time wanted me to be a different person… to be more of a “Caretaker” or “Weaver” by Buckingham’s test. I actually thought that my personality was flawed. The pressure was on me to try to be like someone else. 


As most of you know, I have two daughters. Their personalities are very different, and I don’t try to change them. I appreciate their differences and try to build up their strengths rather than try to change them to conform to my own desires or to be like each other. That's because I want them to have their happiest and most successful life, too.

What about you? Are you currently in the role that is best suited for you in order to bring strength and satisfaction to you? Try taking the test at StrongLifeTest.com and find out more. 

During the 17 years that he spent at the Gallup Organization, Buckingham extensively researched the nation’s best leaders, managers, and work places. He has written four bestselling books, First, Break All the Rules , Now, Discover Your Strengths, The One Thing You Need to Know and Go Put Your Strengths to Work. Find out more at MarcusBuckingham.com.