If you are trying to find your path in life, two important factors to consider are your interests and abilities. When considering your interests and abilities, is one more important than the other? Should you consider them equally? What is the relationship between the two?
One helpful way to explain how your interests and abilities connect is…
… a boat
That’s right! A boat. Specifically, one with a motor and a rudder.
Stanford psychology professor E.K. Strong Jr. said the following back in 1943:
“The relationship among abilities, interests, and achievements may be likened to a motor boat with a motor and a rudder. The motor (abilities) determines how fast the boat can go, the rudder (interests) determines which way the boat goes.”
This came from decades of research- tracking people and their career trajectories over time. I found this quote in Dr. Bryan Dik’s book, Redeeming Work. I interviewed Bryan recently. Here is the link to my interview with Dr. Brian Dik.
Interests (the rudder) Determine Direction
Knowing your interests is an important aspect of finding your path. Your interests and passions are closely related and could both be thought of as rudders in your life, pointing you towards a goal, a cause, a vocation.
Many times simply being curious and following your interests and passions is the best way to find your path; however, we can’t just stop there. “Follow your passion” is a popular phrase in the culture, and (like many short and memorable phrases) it is only partly true.
We might follow our passion and find ourselves on a path where the rudder is pointing to a favorable end, but we can’t get to where we want to go. Our motor can’t get us there.
Abilities (the motor) Determine How Far You Can Go
In order to serve people well or perform well in our jobs, we need to be interested and passionate in our vocations (rudder), but we also need to make sure that our abilities and personality (motor) are a good match.
In other words, we need to live in line with our unique design. We can always improve and gain skills in certain areas of work, but leaning into our natural abilities and personality will help us go far.
Start With Interests, See If Abilities Follow
Be curious. Pay attention to topics, subject areas, issues, hobbies, and games that you find interesting. If you don’t find your line of work interesting then no matter how good you are at it, you are going to get tired of it. Research has shown that interests stay fairly consistent over time, so paying attention to this at the beginning of your journey is important and worth your time.
Take Action
Then try things! Fail! Try again! Try something else! I tend to live with the ideas in my head. Many people do. It’s comforting, staying in the hypothetical. But there is something about taking action that clarifies and straightens the path.
You’ll see what you are good at. You’ll see what you are not good at. You’ll see what type of work matches your personality. You’ll see what type of work feels like you’re going against the current, and what work feels like a breeze.
How can you connect your interests (rudder) and your abilities (motor) in this season of life?
