Ep. 83 - Do You Take Your Capabilities Seriously? If Not, Why? A Look Into Dan Sullivan's Capableism

The End of the Day Podcast with Kari Watterson: Using Mindset Work to Live Your Best Life

Why Taking Your Capabilities Seriously Might Be the Missing Link to the Change You Seek

We all have unique capabilities—strengths, skills, and talents that set us apart. But here’s the question: Are you actually taking them seriously?

Do you even know what your unique capabilities are?

Dan Sullivan, co-founder of Strategic Coach, calls this Capableism—the idea that success isn’t just about recognizing your strengths but about taking responsibility for them, developing them, and strategically combining them with others. It’s about using your capabilities to actively shape your future instead of letting them sit dormant.

In this episode, we explore:

✔ Why simply identifying your strengths isn’t enough—you have to own them
✔ How undervaluing your capabilities keeps you stuck in patterns of inaction
✔ The surprising consequences of not taking your strengths seriously
✔ What happens when you start prioritizing capability growth in your daily life
✔ How Capableism shifts the focus from competition to collaboration
✔ A powerful journaling exercise to help you reconnect with your full potential

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What Capableism is and why it reframes personal growth in a powerful way
• The difference between recognizing your strengths and truly owning them
• How taking your capabilities seriously can create a ripple effect in your life and work
• The biggest mindset shifts that help you move from passive potential to active impact
• Why collaboration and capability expansion go hand in hand
• A practical exercise to help you explore this question and start taking ownership of and leveraging yours

Your Call to Action:

• Take 5 minutes to reflect: Are you taking your capabilities seriously, or are you still playing small?
  
• Download the free journaling exercise (linked below) to uncover where you might be holding yourself back.
  
• Identify one capability you know you have—but haven’t fully leveraged. What’s one action you can take today to start owning it?

If we’re going to build something great, it starts with fully stepping into who we already are.
If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Resources & Links:

• Self-Exploration Journaling Exercise: Take some time to identify your capabilities. Are you taking them seriously? Not sure? Click here to download a journaling exercise to help you get started.
  
• Dan Sullivan’s blog post, “What is Capableism, and Why Is It So Important For Entrepreneurs?”
  
• Visit Dan Sullivan’s website to download a free copy of his e-book, Capableism, watch the video series, or listen to the audio
  
• Follow me on Instagram
  
• Find me on LinkedIn
  
• Get 1:1 life and mindset coaching

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Life can be so much more than we think. And that's where we start - with your thinking. See how your thoughts have been holding you back, and learn how to cut through the noise and move powerfully forward. $39 coaching calls.

To book a call, visit KariWatterson.com.