In life, the most profound questions often lead us to the greatest clarity: Who am I? and Why am I here? At the Academy of Life Planning, we encourage individuals to explore these questions deeply, using our GAME Plan framework: Goals, Actions, Means, and Execution. This exploration is not just about self-reflection; it’s about defining your favourite future and paving the way to live a life of significance, aligned with your values and purpose.
Who Am I?
To answer this, we delve into personal values assessments. Your values are the compass that guides your decisions, relationships, and actions. They are the essence of who you are at your core. Identifying these values helps you understand the principles you live by and what truly matters to you.
Why Am I Here?
This question takes us deeper into your life’s purpose. Many planners may stop at analysing strengths, using tools like CliftonStrengths or similar frameworks developed for employee performance management. While these tools can be helpful, they only scratch the surface.
At the Academy, we believe uncovering why you are here requires a broader, more profound perspective. It’s not just about identifying skills or competencies but understanding your unique talents—qualities shaped by life itself. These talents are often revealed through your personal journey, particularly during moments of adversity. They arise from:
- What you are naturally good at.
- What others would say about you.
- Your relative strengths and inherent gifts.
- Challenges and life events that you have mastered.
And most importantly, your hero’s journey, a concept introduced by Joseph Campbell, helps us see how the events of our lives have sculpted us into the people we are today. Taking this helicopter view of your life allows you to make sense of your experiences and see the role they play in your unique purpose. It’s only by looking back that you can connect the dots and understand why you are here.
Life Purpose: Talents in Service
Your life purpose is to use these talents in service to others. When we discover our talents, we uncover how we can contribute to the world in meaningful ways. This is the essence of a values-led, purpose-driven life. It’s what gives life significance and creates a ripple effect of positive impact on society and the planet.
A Conversation on Talents
Recently, I spoke with a planner about this very topic:
“The competencies identified in the CliftonStrengths assessment are not enough to answer the question of Talents in the Significant STORIES System. Talents emerge through lived experience, often shaped by challenges and adversities. When we uncover these, we see how they inform our life purpose—to use them in selfless service to others. With a thorough assessment, we understand why we are here, and when paired with a values assessment, we know who we are and why we are here. From there, we can plan a life of true significance.”
The Two Most Important Days
Mark Twain famously said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” At the Academy of Life Planning, we guide you towards that second day. By uncovering who you are and why you’re here, we help you craft a life plan that aligns with your values and purpose.
Empowering Your Journey
The journey of self-discovery may feel daunting, but it is also empowering. Tools like values assessments, talent discovery, and the hero’s journey framework provide clarity and direction. This is about more than self-awareness; it’s about designing a life that reflects your unique purpose and contributes to a better world.
If you’re ready to explore your values and talents and discover your purpose, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s work together to create a future where you can live a life of meaning, significance, and impact.
Take that first step—your favourite future awaits.
For further information visit the Academy of Life Planning’s website and join our tribe with our FREE SIGN UP.
Note: Exploring the CliftonStrengths Assessment: A Guide to Unlocking Your Talents
The CliftonStrengths assessment, formerly known as StrengthsFinder, is a powerful tool designed to help individuals identify their unique talents and develop them into strengths. Developed by educational psychologist Donald O. Clifton and further refined by Gallup, this assessment offers invaluable insights into personal and professional growth.
Understanding the CliftonStrengths Assessment
The CliftonStrengths assessment is structured to evaluate how you naturally think, feel, and behave. It consists of 177 paired statements, each representing contrasting self-descriptors. Participants are asked to choose the statement that best aligns with them, indicating the degree to which it applies.
To ensure instinctive responses, each question is timed, giving you just 20 seconds to decide. This time constraint helps capture your natural inclinations, rather than overly considered answers. Completing the assessment typically takes around 30 to 35 minutes, so it is advisable to set aside uninterrupted time to focus fully.
The Four Domains and 34 Talent Themes
The assessment identifies 34 distinct talent themes, which are grouped into four primary domains. These domains provide a framework for understanding how your strengths contribute to your success:
- Executing: Talents in this domain help turn ideas into actions and get things done.
- Influencing: Talents here empower you to take charge, make your voice heard, and inspire others to action.
- Relationship Building: These talents are the glue that holds teams together, fostering collaboration and connection.
- Strategic Thinking: Talents in this domain help you process and analyse information to make informed decisions and plan for the future.
Each of these themes and domains sheds light on how you can leverage your talents to achieve personal and professional goals.
Benefits of the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Enhanced Self-Awareness
By identifying your top strengths, the assessment helps you understand your natural talents and how to apply them effectively. This increased self-awareness can be transformative, enabling you to play to your strengths in all areas of life.
Improved Team Dynamics
Understanding your own strengths is just one part of the picture. When applied in a team setting, the CliftonStrengths framework allows team members to appreciate and utilise each other’s unique talents. This understanding fosters collaboration and enhances overall team performance.
Personal and Professional Growth
The insights gained from the assessment can guide you in focusing on areas where you naturally excel. By developing these talents into strengths, you can boost your engagement, productivity, and satisfaction both personally and professionally.
Practical Applications
The CliftonStrengths assessment is widely used in organisations to enhance employee engagement, build cohesive teams, and foster leadership development. It is equally beneficial for individuals seeking personal growth, career advancement, or improved interpersonal relationships.
Important Considerations
While the CliftonStrengths assessment provides valuable insights, it is important to remember that it has not undergone peer review for publication in scientific journals. As such, it should be considered as one tool among many in a comprehensive personal or professional development strategy.
Taking the Next Step
If you are interested in unlocking your potential and understanding your unique talents, the CliftonStrengths assessment offers a structured and insightful starting point. For further details or to take the assessment, visit Gallup’s official website.
By exploring your strengths and learning how to apply them effectively, you can create a meaningful path towards success, fulfilment, and impact in all areas of your life.
Academy of Life Planning 
Q: Intent of the Clifton StrengthsFinder
The purpose of the Clifton StrengthsFinder is to serve as a tool for personal development, enabling individuals to identify their inherent talents and build them into strengths. The instrument is designed for use in work, education, and personal growth settings, offering insights that help individuals and teams achieve excellence.
Key points regarding its intent:
Ongoing Evolution
Since its initial release, the Clifton StrengthsFinder has undergone several updates:
Essence of the Clifton StrengthsFinder
The essence of the CSF lies in its strengths-based approach to human development:
In summary, the Clifton StrengthsFinder is more than just an assessment—it is a philosophy and framework that has transformed how individuals, teams, and organizations approach development and success. By focusing on strengths, it unlocks human potential and paves the way for sustained personal and professional growth. Let me know if you’d like additional insights or examples!
Answer:
Yes, I’ve read through your notes, and I see where you’re coming from. It’s clear that we have more success in life when we focus on what we’re naturally good at. Our purpose is to take those talents and use them to serve others or contribute to the planet.
What I’m questioning is the need for an assessment tool to tell me about my strengths to decide who I am and why I’m here. For example, an assessment might tell me I waddle, fly, quack, and have feathers—and suggest I work on improving those traits. But if I take a step back and look at my life, it’s obvious: I’m a duck. The best thing I can do is embrace being a duck and excel at what ducks do.
Sometimes, it’s not about being told what you’re good at; it’s about discovering it through reflection on your life story. For example, a client once told me that while other financial advisers work like a horse and cart, the way I work is more like a Formula 1 car—precise, transformative, and innovative.
Another client shared this after a session:
“Your approach goes far beyond financial planning. It’s been a life-changing experience. For the first time, I truly understood who I am and my purpose. What you offer is more than advice; it’s a path to self-discovery and authentic living. It’s about understanding yourself and seeing the bigger picture of life. I’m excited for the journey ahead.”
This is the essence of what we do—it’s not just about identifying strengths; it’s about understanding the unique journey that has shaped you. By reflecting on your experiences, talents, and life path, we uncover purpose and direction in a way no assessment tool can fully capture.
Steve, the order of your CliftonStrengths themes is important because it reflects the intensity and dominance of each talent theme in your life. Chapter 10 of Now, Discover Your Strengths emphasizes that while all 34 themes are significant, your top five themes represent your “signature themes.” These are your most dominant and natural patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior, serving as the foundation for your strengths.
Knowing the order helps you understand which talents are most likely to drive your behaviors and decisions consistently. This insight allows you to better prioritize and leverage your strengths in various contexts, whether in relationships, problem-solving, or achieving goals. Moreover, the sequence of themes influences how you approach tasks and interact with others, creating a unique combination that is essential for personal development and collaboration. By focusing on the order, you can maximize the potential of your talents and align them with your objectives effectively.
You can not do this without a assessment like CliftonStrengths.
Response:
Thank you for your thoughtful response and for highlighting the value of understanding CliftonStrengths themes and their order. I completely see how this approach can provide powerful insights into one’s dominant talents and how they shape behaviours and decisions. It’s a great tool for helping people prioritise and leverage their strengths in specific contexts.
In the Academy’s GAME Plan framework, we take a slightly different path. During the Goals phase, we focus on uncovering who we are, why we’re here, and identifying our favourite future. It’s a deeply reflective process that helps clients connect with their life’s purpose. Later, in Actions, we create a project plan to bring that vision to life. In Means, we optimise resources, and in Execution, we try and test strategies to ensure their success.
At some point in this journey, a client might choose to explore tools like CliftonStrengths to gain further clarity. However, the success of their plan doesn’t depend on any single assessment. Our approach is built on the belief that by reflecting on life experiences, values, and talents, we can uncover purpose and direction just as effectively.
That said, I recognise the value CliftonStrengths offers as a structured method for exploring strengths, and it could certainly complement our process for those who resonate with it.
Thank you for sharing your perspective—it’s always great to exchange ideas and approaches!”
Kind regards,
Steve