I remember one day I was doomscrolling through Spotlight. (This isn't a regular thing, don't worry. I only lost a perfectly reasonable amount of time.) If you don't know what Spotlight is, it's Snapchat's watered-down version of TikTok's For You Page. And I know there's at least one person wondering why I didn't just go through TikTok instead. That's a story for another day—or maybe I'll make it my next write-up once I finish this one. We love a productive detour.
Anyway, I came across a video about how to discover your talent.
That was the energy I brought to the lesson. The guy promised three ways to discover your talent, so naturally I sat up like the video had called my name.
1. What do you find easy that other people find difficult?
In FIFA, I can pull off a five-stage combo without looking at the controller. In Injustice, though, when the game asks me to press L2 + R2, I have to look down like those buttons have changed places since yesterday. Is it talent, muscle memory, or FIFA-specific wizardry? Either way, I'm counting it. If you can pull off a combo without looking at the controller, you deserve a tiny trophy. A tiny one. The talent is still under review.
2. What makes you angry?
Let's exclude the OCD people for a second—I'll come back to you guys in a bit. For now, I mean the everyday things that get under your skin, catch your attention, or make you wonder, “Why does this bother me so much?”
For example, I completely detest it when someone sends a movie from their phone to their laptop over Bluetooth. There's a cable right there! (It might be the charger cable, but still. We can negotiate.) I watch the transfer bar move like it's carrying the movie across the country by hand.
Maybe that annoyance tells you something about what you value—efficiency, clear instructions, or getting things done without watching a loading bar age in real time. You might be the person who spots shortcuts, organises the messy bits, or breaks a huge problem into steps that make sense.
Or maybe you're the unofficial colour referee: you spot an outfit whose colours are beefing in public, or a room so bland it looks like it spawned before the colour update. One good jacket or lamp and suddenly the scene has a plot. That eye can come in handy in styling, design, quality checks, or engineering—where “close enough” is how a machine starts making a noise nobody ordered.
Okay, OCD people, I'm back. I haven't forgotten you. OCD isn't the same thing as perfectionism, and it doesn't automatically make anyone good at detail-heavy work. If you personally have a strong eye for detail, that can be useful in design or engineering. Not me, though: give me one delicate machine and I'll find the button labelled “definitely don't press” and invent a brand-new factory evacuation drill.
3. What do people come to you for?
People come to you for all sorts of things: advice, explanations, tech support, or help with a confusing problem. Sometimes they notice what you're good at before you do. That reminded me of Ranpo Edogawa from Bungo Stray Dogs. He's so good at solving crimes that he once deduced a murdered woman's last words to her killer. And the wildest part? His “Ultra-Deduction” isn't even a supernatural ability—it's pure talent and observation. He's so good that people assume it must be an ability, and he even convinces himself it is. Cringe, I know, but not everyone is good at naming things. Maybe naming abilities is your talent. Who knows?
And this is where I'd explain how the things people ask you for can point to your talents—but, guys, I'm tired. I'm handing the rest of this paragraph over to you. Take it anywhere, even in a completely different direction. I started this write-up by admitting I get distracted, so who am I to stop you?
Whoever writes the best continuation gets featured here and tagged. And when I'm rich—which is a must, apparently—I'll send you some money too. Future me: don't become a millionaire and suddenly develop selective amnesia.
Sometimes a talent feels ordinary just because you've been doing it for so long. That's my contribution. The rest is yours.
So, yeah, I almost forgot the point of this whole epistle: find a way to turn your talent into money, even if it's the most random skill imaginable. And wow—I've written over 600 words. Why wasn't I moving like this during my school essay exams? Those essay questions were clearly missing a PlayStation controller.
YOUR TURN
Continue the paragraph
Take it anywhere you like, even in a completely different direction. I'll choose a continuation to feature here and credit/tag its writer. When I'm rich—which is apparently a must—there's money in it too.
This opens a draft in your email app. Review it and press Send to submit.
If your email app doesn't open, email me directly.