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I am not a jigsaw puzzle person.

I have nothing against them in principle and hold no ill will towards those who engage in this activity on a regular basis.

It’s just not on my radar as something to do. In fact, I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say I have not attempted one in the last 50 years.

That all changed this past May when my wife, Linda, was given a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle (“Beers of New England”) as a birthday gift from our friends Kim and John.

We took it home and, since we do like beer, we thought, why not? I went to the basement and brought up a crappy old card table (the officially sanctioned jigsaw puzzling playing surface) and set it up next to the kitchen table.

You’ll be impressed to learn that just four short months later, we have now completed it (see photo).

The truth is, it was a lot of fun. But I can assure you of one thing: Neither of us will be competing anytime soon in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship.

This year’s event, held last month in Valladolid, Spain, involved 3,500 participants. The winner, 30-year-old Kristin Thuv of Norway, completed a 500-piece puzzle in less than 38 minutes!

For you math nerds out there, that’s approximately 80 billion times faster than the combined efforts of Linda and me. (In our defense, Kristin had half as many pieces to deal with and you know how hard it is to get anything done when working with your spouse.)

Without question, Kristin Thuv is a jigsaw puzzling genius.

So, given her success in the competition, what do you think she does for a living? The answer is … I have no idea. I couldn’t find out anything about her.

But it doesn’t really matter, because a more interesting question is, “What kind of work should a person who is the fastest jigsaw puzzler on Planet Earth do?”

I’m guessing here, but in terms of natural skills, I would think she…

… is extraordinarily good at recognizing shapes and visualizing, quickly and from all directions, how they fit together.

… has an unusually strong ability to differentiate among subtle differences in color.

… has excellent fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

… performs well under intense pressure.

… speaks fluent Norwegian (this may be unrelated).

Okay, so what occupation takes advantage of these traits? Again, I have no idea. (“Jeez, does this guy know anything?”)

But were I coaching Kristin Thuv in the development of a solo professional business of her own, that’s where I would suggest she look.

Where Are You the Absolute Best?

Building (or focusing) your business on your natural strengths has all kinds of advantages:

It’s easy. The things other people struggle with come to you with less effort.

It’s fun. I’m sure there are cases where natural skills don’t overlap with natural interests, but usually, they seem to go hand in hand. I bet Kristin Thuv really, really likes doing jigsaw puzzles.

It results in better outcomes. Your clients are happier than they would otherwise be. They are not just “satisfied,” they are thrilled and impressed by the work you do.

It’s a competitive advantage. Thrilled and impressed clients understand that there are no good alternatives. You are a category of one.

Of course, there are some fortunate individuals who are naturally advantaged in well known and well established careers: athletes, musicians, adult film performers, etc.

Most of us, however, are like Kristin Thuv. We have an oddball collection of skills that don’t seem to apply to anything in particular.

Even worse, since these things have been with us most (or all) of our lives, we tend to overlook how unusual and valuable they are. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Kristin Thuv was well into adolescence before she realized not everyone can easily visualize how oddly-shaped, two-dimensional things can fit together.

But that’s our challenge.

Because as solo professionals, selling things we are “just okay” at is a constant struggle. Selling things that are built on our natural skills and abilities is where all the good stuff lives.

Where Talent Meets Demand

Getting closer to “the answer” is kind of a two-step process and, frankly, not easy. It will take you more than an afternoon of pondering.

But I think of it as having two parts:

Part 1: What are you already known for?

You may not be fully aware of what you are naturally good at – but other people in your life are.

So, what are the things or situations in which people come to you?

Are you the mediator of disputes within your extended family? Are you the person everyone wants on their team at trivia night? Are you the one who all the neighbors bring their dying plants to for rejuvenation?

Spend time figuring out what you are drawn to and what draws other people to you.

Part 2: Who needs what you’ve got?

Having innate skills is great. But clients and prospective clients don’t buy that. They buy the things you can do or offer as a result of having those traits.

And chances are, the best answer for you is not going to be something broadly generic like “financial planner.”

It’s more likely to be some weird combination of things like, “Retirement income consultant (because I am good at solving complicated puzzles), for former professional basketball players (because I am six-foot-ten and understand what life is like living in a world made for “small people”), who didn’t start saving money until late in life (because I am naturally empathetic).”

Find the overlap between what you already are and what other people already need.

Here’s the bottom line.

When it comes to choosing a career or even starting a business, most people look around, see what’s out there, and think, “I’ll take one of those.”

That’s fine. And if “making a living” is your goal, you’ve got plenty of good options.

But, if you’d rather spend your days and years and life doing what you’d do even if they weren’t paying you, you may have to dig a little deeper.

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Discussion Questions:

1. When was the last time you attempted a jigsaw puzzle?
2. Do you speak Norwegian?
3. What’s your natural skill that others come to you for?

Share your answers below…

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