Your Wiring Is Still There
- May 29
- 3 min read
Your strengths don't disappear — they mature.
I keep waiting for the time when my CliftonStrengths report no longer helps or guides me. I'm not there yet. And I'll admit I've hit bumps along the way — moments where I've dismissed my results as defunct, or wondered if this tool was even worth it.
My journey with WOO is a strong example. When I was in the middle of parenting young children, I said to a more experienced coach: I don't have WOO anymore. She assured me it made sense to feel that way. Connecting with strangers used to feel effortless. Connecting with strangers while parenting toddlers? Not effortless. Something that once gave me energy was draining me. Where had my WOO gone?
That conversation helped me turn my WOO down for a season — to stop being harsh on myself when something felt hard. My WOO has grown up through my parenting journey. It's still there. I just don't like using it while parenting. But put me in a room of new people during school hours, and I can still light up. I'm choosier with my WOO now. I use it less, I protect it more. But it's still part of me.
My Positivity is another example. I used to feel responsible for charging just about every room I stepped into — I can see my teenage self doing this in countless ways. A lot of the time, that talent cost me personally and gained me friends. The more I've grown up — and yes, gone to counselling — the more I've seen how much my Positivity has drained me in certain rooms.
But has that part of me gone, or is it bad? I don't think so. My desire to bring hope is still there. I just pay attention to how I'm feeling and what I need before I try to offer it.
Growth means using your wiring with more intention, not more force.
The last few months have reminded me to keep seeing my CliftonStrengths themes as parts of me. They are my wiring. Sometimes they feel more painful than I'd like. They definitely cause me challenges. And I love how Dr Becky says "two things can be true" — because these themes also continue to help me find my energy, excellence, and ease. Two sides of the same coin as the saying goes.
Your wiring is worth protecting — not because it's always easy, but because it's always you.
Our wiring, just as Gallup's research shows, is worth paying attention to, worth developing, worth protecting. Not because these parts of us are always great. But because our wiring matters. Who you are is there — pay attention to it, protect it. You might end up thriving a little more.
Three summary points:
Your strengths don't disappear — they mature. Seasons of life change how your themes show up, not whether they exist.
Growth means using your wiring with more intention, not more force. Less can be more. Choosier is wiser.
Your wiring is worth protecting — not because it's always easy, but because it's always you.
About the author Hi I'm Lacey, a CliftonStrengths coach based in New Zealand. I'm passionate about helping managers and teams thrive, not just survive.
I'm also a creative introvert, wife, mum and an avid fan of both exercise and doughnuts! If you're keen to begin or continue your CliftonStrengths journey, drop me a line or book a free chat
Comments