As a child, your parents or teachers may have told you that you could do anything you put your mind to. That you could be anything you wanted to be when you grew up.
With the benefit of hindsight, you know those assurances weren’t literally true. But your older and wiser self may also know that you have far more potential — and far more talent — than you give yourself credit for.
“One of the biggest obstacles to uncovering your hidden talents is self-doubt,” says life coach Alden Mills. “Too often, we allow our negative self-talk and limiting beliefs to hold us back from pursuing our dreams.”
And if you don’t know this yet, it’s time to find out. Your hidden talents are in there, waiting to be unlocked.
Here’s how to set them free.
- Volunteer for New Roles at Work
David Miscavige is best known as the leader of the Scientology religion. But he’s also a gifted artist. As musician and human rights advocate Wil Seabrook recalls, he discovered this talent at a young age when he took on a new assignment at work.
“One of Mr. Miscavige’s early roles within the Church was working directly with L. Ron Hubbard as Director of Photography for the original Scientology training films — films that help Scientologists learn how to properly apply the technology of Scientology to a predictably successful result,” Seabrook says. “Anyone who has seen these films will tell you that they communicate so well and so clearly that the creative presentation has an almost therapeutic quality to it. It’s really something you have to experience firsthand to appreciate.”
That’s high praise from someone who does similar work for a living. And while Miscavige is certainly a singular talent, it’s very likely that you, yourself, harbor hidden skills on a similar scale.
- Volunteer Outside Your Day Job, Too
Well-rounded people find time to explore their interests outside of their day job as well. Volunteering in the community allows you to follow new pursuits in a lower-stakes environment; as a low-level volunteer, at least, the worst that can happen is you’re not invited back next month.
- Join a Language Learning Group
Several peer-reviewed studies show that learning a second language promotes brain development in adults. The results are especially pronounced in people older than 65.
That should be reason enough to dust off your language skills. But learning a new language is also a social enterprise that can unlock other interests and talents, as well as higher-value volunteering or even job opportunities. Get started by joining an in-person or virtual language learning group in your community.
- Join a Recreational Sports League
Like learning a language, playing sports as an adult has clear benefits for your physical and mental health. Indeed, the evidence-based recommendation is for all adults (those aged 18 to 64) to get at least 150 hours of aerobic exercise each week.
The similarities with language learning don’t stop there. While you might not walk onto your favorite pro sports team at age 40, you very well could discover that you’re better than most people your age at a particular position or discipline.
- Rent a Musical Instrument for a Week
Especially if you don’t fancy yourself musically inclined. Almost by definition, getting out of your comfort zone is a wonderful way to discover a new talent. Consider going against type or apparent interest by picking up a wind instrument despite your love of guitar rock or stretching your singing voice despite poor luck to date holding a tune.
- “Audit” a Community College Course
Many community colleges and some state and private institutions still allow members of the general public to “audit” courses. You can quite literally sit in on a class, or Zoom in if that functionality is available, without having to take the end-of-semester exam or work on any group projects. Your job is simply to learn — and perhaps to discover a new passion in the process.
Find a New You
Do you feel a bit more confident that you have the power to unlock a latent talent (or two)? If not, remember that — on this, at least — you owe nothing to anyone but yourself. Your self-directed talent search, if you can call it that, is yours and yours alone to pursue.
Whether you aspire to learn a new language, hold a tune on the guitar, or write poetry that’s not totally embarrassing to read, nurturing a new skill is really about nurturing a new side of you. That’s something everyone should be able to agree on.