How to Achieve Your Career Goals with Ability and Accomplishment

The Truth About Ability and Accomplishment

Many people tend to confuse ability and accomplishment, but they are not the same thing. Ability is what you are capable of doing, while accomplishment is what you have actually done. Ability is your potential, while accomplishment is your reality.

In this blog post, we will explore the difference between ability and accomplishment, why they both matter, and how you can leverage them to achieve your career goals.

What is ability?

Ability is the skill or competence that you have to perform a certain task or activity. Ability can be innate or acquired, natural or learned, general or specific. Ability can also be measured by various tests or assessments, such as IQ tests, aptitude tests, or performance evaluations.

Some examples of abilities are:

- Writing

- Speaking

- Analyzing

- Problem-solving

- Creativity

- Leadership

- Teamwork

Ability is important because it shows your potential to succeed in a given field or role. Ability can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and guide you to choose the best career path for yourself.

However, ability alone is not enough to guarantee success. Ability needs to be accompanied by action, effort, and results. That's where accomplishment comes in.

What is accomplishment?

Accomplishment is the achievement or outcome that you have attained by using your abilities. Accomplishment is what you have actually done, not what you could do. Accomplishment can be tangible or intangible, personal or professional, individual or collective. Accomplishment can also be recognized by various rewards or recognition, such as awards, certificates, promotions, or praise.

Some examples of accomplishments are:

- Writing a best-selling book

- Giving a TED talk

- Solving a complex problem

- Creating a new product

- Leading a successful project

- Working well with others

Accomplishment is important because it shows your actual performance and impact in a given field or role. Accomplishment can also help you demonstrate your value and credibility to others, and boost your confidence and motivation.

However, accomplishment alone is not enough to sustain success. Accomplishment needs to be accompanied by learning, growth, and improvement. That's where ability comes back in.

How to balance ability and accomplishment

Ability and accomplishment are both essential for your career success, but they need to be balanced and aligned. If you have high ability but low accomplishment, you may be seen as underperforming or wasting your potential. If you have low ability but high accomplishment, you may be seen as overachieving or lucky.

The ideal scenario is to have high ability and high accomplishment, which means you are performing at your best and delivering excellent results. To achieve this balance, here are some tips:

- Identify your abilities and accomplishments: Make a list of your skills and competencies, and the achievements and outcomes that you have attained by using them. This will help you assess your current level of ability and accomplishment, and identify any gaps or areas for improvement.

- Set SMART goals: SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Setting SMART goals will help you define what you want to accomplish, how you will accomplish it, and when you will accomplish it. SMART goals will also help you track your progress and evaluate your results.

- Seek feedback and learning opportunities: Feedback and learning are crucial for enhancing your abilities and accomplishments. Seek feedback from others who can provide constructive criticism and helpful suggestions on how to improve your performance. Seek learning opportunities from various sources, such as books, courses, mentors, or peers who can teach you new skills or knowledge.

- Celebrate your successes and learn from your failures: Successes and failures are both part of the journey of ability and accomplishment. Celebrate your successes by acknowledging your efforts and achievements, and rewarding yourself for a job well done. Learn from your failures by analyzing what went wrong and what you can do better next time.

Conclusion

Ability and accomplishment are two different but interrelated concepts that affect your career success. Ability is what you are capable of doing, while accomplishment is what you have actually done. Both are important, but they need to be balanced and aligned.

To balance ability and accomplishment, you need to identify your abilities and accomplishments, set SMART goals, seek feedback and learning opportunities, celebrate your successes and learn from your failures.

By doing so, you will be able to maximize your potential and reality, and achieve your career goals.

Source: 

(1) Examples of accomplishment statements for your career search - UMass Global. https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/writing-an-accomplishment-statement.

(2) Listing Accomplishments on Your Resume (With Examples). https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/listing-accomplishments-on-your-resume.

(3) How To Write Accomplishment Statements (With 78 Examples). https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/accomplishment-statements-examples.

(4) How to List Your Skills, Abilities, and Accomplishments. https://alis.alberta.ca/tools-and-resources/guides/how-to-list-your-skills-abilities-and-accomplishments/.

(5) Accomplishment statement examples to help make your resume ... - LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/accomplishment-statement-examples-help-make-your-resume-stand-.

FAQ's

What is Carol Dweck's theory?

In her research, Dweck built on the theory of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to continue to form new connections into adulthood, after it has been damaged or when it is stimulated by new experiences. This supports the idea that you can adopt a growth mindset at any time of life.

What are the 3 kinds of mindsets?

There are three mindsets that are helpful for mentees . A Growth mindset. Recognizing that you can grow and learn and develop into the person you want to be is essential to growth. ... A Beginner's mindset. ... A Mentoring mindset.

What happened in chapter 3 of mindset?

Chapter 3 Summary: “The Truth About Ability and Accomplishment” Dweck opens this chapter with stories about two well-regarded geniuses, Thomas Edison and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She details their talents and triumphs but then retells the story, focusing on their failures instead.

What is the G mindset?

A growth mindset, proposed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, describes people who believe that their success depends on time and effort. People with a growth mindset feel their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence.