Activity Set: Personal Superpowers and Life Motto
Superpowers and Life Motto: Quick Overview (Note: There are no online assessments for these activities; read the information below for more detailed instructions and information to complete the activities.)
Part 1: Personal Superpowers
- Identify the abilities, talents, and/or skills that you do exceptionally well.
- Lifework Activity: Identify and define your Top 3 to 5 Personal Superpowers.
Part 2: Seven Word Life Motto
- A statement that describes in SEVEN WORDS how you will live your life every day.
- Lifework Activity: Write at least one Seven Word Life Motto. If you desire, write multiple statements that can be used to guide your life every day.
The results from these activities will be THE LAST parts needed to create your Character Resume.
Need Example of results? Click on Bill’s Character Resume to see descriptions of his Superpowers and his Seven Word Life Mottos: character resume-bill johnson example, 6-15-22.
Introduction to Personal Superpowers and Seven Word Life Motto
The Personal Superpowers and Seven Word Life Motto activities are THE LAST TWO activities you’ll need to create your Character Resume (or the You, The Superhero Poster). Your Personal Superpowers are the things you do well, without effort, that typically comes easier to you than to others. I’ve provided two lists to be used to help narrow down and/or describe your superpowers. You’ll also want to review the activities from the previous four Activity Sets (Personality Type, Strengths, Values, and Motivators/Drives) to see if you notice any patterns or characteristics that come up over and over for you. If so, it may be an indication that this is a superpower for you. Also, go back and review the information from the Principles You (Activity Set #2) and Human Drives (Activity Set #4) activities, where they specifically define specific characteristics based on your interactions with others and/or what drives you on a daily basis. These two particular activities may help you define and describe your Superpowers.
The Seven Word Life Motto is a short statement (7 words, to be exact) that describe how you will live your life every day. Think of your Seven Word Life Motto as your inspiration to not only get out of bed in the morning, but as your motivation to stay on track in being the best version of yourself. And if you’re ambitious/creative like me, create multiple statements – for example, one that guide how you want to engage in your “work” and one for how you will engage with the world outside of work. Create Life Mottos so profound for you that you’d be willing to wear it on a t-shirt!
Part 1: Personal Superpowers
The Personal Superpowers activity will have you define your superpowers. Your personal superpowers are your natural patterns for thinking, feeling, and doing. Think of your superpowers as attitudes and characteristics you can employ all day long; you get energy from engaging in these attitudes and characteristics rather than get drained. Your personal super powers are developed and used based on a combination of your strengths, unique capabilities, and inspired action; the more you use your superpowers, the less effort needed to engage and the better you get at employing your superpowers. Your Superpowers will most likely include the many of the characteristics you’ve already explored through the exploration of your Personality Type, Values, Strengths, and Motivators/Drives. Here’s an example of a poster from Kerri Smith that describes her Superpowers (from her book, “Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life”):
As you can see, she not only shares each of her six Superpowers, but she also describes each one.
If you don’t know where to start in identifying your Personal Superpowers, use the two lists below – the first is a list of words that may identify what you have to offer the world; the second is a list of activities that may describe what’s best about you. Feel free to use a combination of words and/or phrases that describe your Superpowers. Remember, these are the attributes that describes what’s best about you, what comes easy and natural to you, what you enjoy doing/sharing with others, and what others use to describe what’s great about you. Your Superpowers may be your gifts and talents that you might not even know you have, since they come easy to you. You may want to ask family, friends, and others who know you well to describe your Superpowers. If there are words that you feel describe your Superpowers and are not listed, add them to your list. If several words/phrases resonate with you, it might be helpful to combine them into a broad category, then choose one word or phrase that describes that specific Superpower best.
Your goal for this activity is to identify THREE (3) to FIVE (5) Personal Superpowers, then write a sentence or two that describe each Superpower and/or how you use that Superpower.
Use these questions to help narrow down your choices:
- What things do you do exceptionally well?
- What do other people ask you to do over and over again?
- What activities do you enjoy so much that you lose track of time?
Your answers to these questions could also be helpful in identifying your Personal Superpowers. Remember, your Superpowers are the things you do exceptionally well, without effort.
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Superpower List #1: Strengths
| Action-oriented Adaptable Adventurous Ambitious Analytical Appreciative Articulate Artistic Athletic Attentive Authentic Calm Candid Capable Caring Cautious Charismatic Charming Clear-headed Clever Commitment Communicative Compassionate Competitive Confident Conscientious Considerate Cooperative Courageous Creative Curious Daring Decisive Dedicated Dependable Detail-oriented Devoted Determined Diligent Disciplined |
Educated Effective Efficient Emotionally Intelligent Empathetic Endurance Energetic Entertaining Enthusiastic Experienced Expressive Faithful Fair Fast Flexible Focused Formal Forthright Frank Friendly Generous Goal-oriented Grateful Hard-working Helpful Honest Hopeful Humble Humorous Imaginative Independent Ingenuity Industrious Innovative Insightful Inspirational Integrity Intelligent Intuitive Inventive |
Involved Joyous Kind Knowledgeable Leadership Learning Lively Logical Loving Loyal Mature Methodical Meticulous Modest Motivated Natural Leader Neat Objective Observant Open-minded Optimistic Orderly Organized Original Outgoing Outspoken Painstaking Passionate Patient Peaceful People skills Perceptive Perseverance Persistent Persuasive Polite Practical Precise Pro-active Problem solver |
Punctual Prudent Realistic Reliable Resilient Respectful Responsible Responsive Resourceful Seasoned Self-confident Self-control Self-directed Self-disciplined Sensible Serious Sincere Sociable Speaking Spiritual Spontaneous Straightforward Strategic Systematic Tactful Team-oriented Thinking Thorough Thoughtful Thrifty Tolerant Trustworthy Versatile Visionary Warm Well-rounded Willing Willpower Wisdom |
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Superpower List #2: Activities
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If you have a group of people that know you well, check out this video for another way to determine your Superpowers:
- Finding Your Superpowers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFYu-kPfN08
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(Optional) Personal Superpower Test
These questions are useful to see if your Superpower is actually a Superpower for you. Once you have your list of 3 to 5 Superpowers, use the following list of questions to determine if they are truly your Superpowers:
- Is this superpower something that comes naturally to me?
- Am I better at this superpower than most people I know?
- Does this superpower help people?
- Do I enjoy using this superpower?
If you answered “Yes” to all four questions, then it’s most likely a Superpower.
Once you’ve identified your Superpowers, reflect on these questions:
- How do you use your Superpowers?
- Where do you use your Superpowers (specific places, tasks, roles, etc.)?
- What is your KRYPTONITE (i.e., the external obstacles that weaken your superpowers)?
- What would you need to do to use your superpowers more to have a more significant impact on others?
Remember, you’ll need to identify THREE (3) to FIVE (5) Personal Superpowers, then write a sentence or two sentence that describe each Superpower and/or how you use that Superpower.
Part 2: Seven Word Life Motto
Your Seven-Word Life Motto is a summation of how you will live your life now and in the future, based on the Activity Sets you’ve completed. Think of your Life Motto as your compass for living every day – in SEVEN WORDS! Not six words, not eight words, SEVEN WORDS! Why create a Seven Word Life Motto?
- A motto is: (1) a maxim adopted as an expression of the guiding principles of a person, and (2) a sentence or phrase expressing the spirit or purpose of a person.
- Why seven words? In numerology circles, the number “7” is seen as being spiritual, reflective, introspective, and possessing wisdom and completeness.
Your Life Motto should be so profound that this statement drives your actions and decisions every day! What words would be your inspiration to get you out of bed in the morning? What words would you be willing to put on a t-shirt for all to see?
Use words/characteristics from the previous activities such as your personality type, strengths, values, motivators, and superpowers to create your Seven Word Life Motto. If you don’t know where to start, choose a few of the “Inspirational” words below that resonate with you. Regardless of the specific words you choose, make sure to choose words that inspire you, words that excite you, and words that will encourage you to be your best every day!
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Your Seven-Word Life Motto can be:
- One statement;
- A series of small statements;
- Seven individual words;
- Or any combination of statements and/or words that work best for you.
If you aren’t sure what to write, ask those people closet to you for words that seem to describe you best.
Examples: Bill’s Seven Word Life Mottos
- Dream Big. Live with Purpose. Inspire Others. (Original Life Motto)
- Striving to be 1% better every day. (The statement that drives me into action every day.)
- Achieving more than one ever thought possible! (How I engage with others – in work and in play.)
Think of your Seven Word Life Motto as a story of your present and future. Remember, it must be EXACTLY seven (7) words – no more, no less. Remember that your life motto describes how you want to live your life every day, starting today.
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Life Motto Examples (from previous classes/workshops)
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Use any words you desire to construct your Life Motto – remember, it’s YOUR Life Motto! Come up with the seven words that describe how you want to live your life on a daily basis, words that will inspire you when you get out of bed in the morning. When you’re feeling down, these will be the words that will inspire you to move forward! Don’t forget – it must be EXACTLY SEVEN WORDS! If you feel ambitious, create two or three Seven Word Life Mottos – that way, you’ll have several statements that guide you on a daily basis. And if you really want to OWN your Life Motto, share it with the people you know you well and live it every day.
Once you create your Life Motto (or Mottos), share your statements with those who know you best. I’ve always found that sharing my Life Mottos with others helps me “own” the words and provides clarity on how I need to live my life.
The Dream Dean 