We live in a world that depends on technology more than ever before. We outsource our knowledge to technology and make less effort to reinvent ourselves and to discover our hidden talents. Before cell phones, we memorized all our emergency phone numbers and frequent contacts. Now with cell phones, some people don’t even know their own phone number; they always have to look it up when it is asked for.
We are all unique and smart in different areas but most people do not know how smart they are. They settle for less because they do not know their values. In his book The Time Warrior, Steve Chandler referred to this group as the unconscious competent; people who do the right thing without knowing. If the list below identifies you, then you’re really smart, even though you don’t think so.
1. You’re curious
You are curious to know about everything that comes in your way. You are flexible with change and you’re always the first to adapt to new systems. You do the right thing without thinking about it. You always take initiative and do not allow circumstances to affect your commitment to excellence.
2. You’re goals oriented
You believe that setting and achieving goals differentiates you from the rest. You don’t react to random occurrences in your life because you have a system that prevents the worst thing from happening to you. You prepare for the best and you do not confuse activities with accomplishments.
3. You’re results oriented
You do not do things just to stay busy, you do the right thing right. You consider some opportunities as disruptions, so you focus only on those opportunities that create the best results in your life.
4. You invest your time
Time management is one of the most valuable areas in your life. You believe that every second is important because a time lost can never be redeemed. To you, time is limited, perishable, irredeemable, and irreplaceable. You rather do something with your time and fail than to do nothing at all.
5. You’re future oriented
“Proper prior planning prevents poor performance” – Brian Tracy.
You believe that the rest of your life is the best of your life. Every goal you achieve is always a preparation for a better future. You live a balanced life and nothing happens in your life by mistakes.
6. You’re reliable
If people always ask you for favors, chances are you are the most reliable person in their lives. Does your boss always call you for over-time, or have you ever got a raise that you didn’t ask for, or offered a promotion, or been the only person to whom a particular task is always assigned to, or are you always considered as the one who should know better? If you answered yes to any one of those questions, congratulations. You are reliable. Nobody would waste their time to rely on you if you aren’t reliable.
7. You’re constantly improving
“If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse” – Brian Tracy.
The Japanese call constant improvement Kaizen. You love making new discoveries and you believe that making constant improvements in your life keeps you updated and prevents your best knowledge from becoming obsolete.
8. You’re healthy
Health is the most important characteristic of a smart person on this list. Without good health, all the above characteristics would be a eulogy. Your health is the most important thing in your life, taking good care of yourself is the only way you can live long enough to enjoy the rest of your life. You can accomplish anything you want in life, but you could lose it all if you don’t pay attention to your health. Staying healthy is your ultimate goal.
