You want to change your life. You want to improve it for the better, either personally, professionally, or both. You wouldn’t be working through this process otherwise. You’ve probably tried other things, maybe even a lot of them, and haven’t seen the success you’re after or you wouldn’t be doing this.

One of the problems is almost certainly your focus. Much personal and career development and self-improvement literature doesn’t work for most people because it directs their focus in the wrong direction.

This is especially true when it comes to advice on dealing with your strengths and weaknesses. As noted previously, this advice almost universally directs you to focus on your weaknesses and seek to improve them while ignoring your strengths.

That is harmful and counterproductive. Focusing on the wrong thing in this way not only stalls your progress but can send you backward. All of the benefits you get from working with your strengths and weaknesses become detriments when you focus on the wrong one of the two.

Productivity declines, efficiency goes down, performance drops, and frustration and stress increase. Self-confidence and self-esteem often take a hit too. Depression and anxiety can result. Sometimes people even lose their jobs -all from following the advice of so-called experts that was supposed to help them.

Remember, it’s the same process with a different focus. That’s how important it is to focus on the right things. It’s also why it’s so important to be honest when you are working on your strengths and weaknesses -working with strengths you don’t have is no different (and more frustrating) than focusing on your weaknesses.

Changing your life is possible. Improving your career or your personal life is within your reach. You don’t have to settle for less than you want or less than you’re capable of getting. It doesn’t require a miracle to make your life what you want it to be. It requires a lot of hard work and determination.

It also requires that you focus on the right things. When it comes to working with your strengths and weaknesses, your focus should be squarely on emphasizing your strengths. Use them to their full extent to make your life better and you will reap all the benefits discussed in these articles.

Improving your weaknesses is important for personal development, but it is not the best way to change your life. Focus on your strengths and worry about your weaknesses afterward.