By invited author Robert Biswas-Diener

1. Use Your Strengths Less!

Although, at first blush, this is a counter-intuitive piece of advice it makes a lot of sense. Our strengths interact with situations and may or may not be appropriate to every circumstance. When i work with coaching clients I find there is often as much traction in dialing down a particularly strength as there is in accentuating another. At CAPP we think of this as “the right strength, in the right amount, at the right time.” This is what Barry Schwartz says about wisdom– it is a “meta-strength” and tells you when and how to regulate the other strengths.

2. Use the Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had!

Most folks are pretty aware of what they might consider their “top 5″– that is, those strengths they commonly employ to good effect. These are the things we all receive compliments on and we know well. But what about unrealised strengths? At CAPP, we think of these as natural strengths that are energizing and which lead to maximal effectiveness, but which you are not currently using. The Realise2 strengths assessment distinguishes between realised and unrealised strengths. This latter group is ripe for development.

3. Swap Your Strengths and Your Learned Behaviors for Increased Energy!

Your learned behaviors are those skills you have adopted, perahps becuase your job or relationships have required it. You tend to be good at these behaviors and they help you enjoy the success you have. Unfortuantely, becuase they are not natural to you they can require extra effort and leave you deflated at the end of the day. The Realise2 also distinguishes Learned behaviors. At CAPP we emphasize that while you may not be able to do without some of these you might want to practice moderating their use so that you are not drained by them.

4. Use Your Strengths to Target Your Weaknesses!

Don’t give weaknesses lip service…. actually deal with them. Your weaknesses are like a leak in a boat, you have to manage them or you will sink. Fortunately, you can employ your strengths in a variety of ways to accomplish this. You might use your strengths to compensate for or overcome your weaknesses; you might use your strengths to find collaborations with others that better address your weaknesses; you might use your strengths to make your weaknesses irrelevant.

5. Challenge Ben Franklin!

Okay, so Ben adopted a strengths a week and rotated through his core aspirations over the course of weeks and years. he got so good at it that his friends couldn’t shut him up and recommended he add “humility” to the mix! What about you? Can you rotate through your “top 5″; choosing one a week as a theme through which you view problems, setbacks, decisions and plans?

6. Strengths spotting

Recognizing strengths in yourself may come easily for folks who use happier.com, but what about others, for whom the vocabulary of strengths is a bit more…. foreign? You can gain traction by labeling every instance of a strength or passion you see in others. Be vigilant for that straight posture, increased gesturing, more fluid speech, use of metaphor and brighter facial expressions. Point out and label each strength as you see it in play. But be forwarned, the larger your own strengths vocabulary is, the more you will be able to spot in your friends, clients and colleagues.

happier.com is a personal trainer for your happiness. With more than a dozen tools and tests to help you measure, track and improve your happiness, you can trust the happier.com experts to help you reach your goals. Exclusive videos and a popular blog mean there’s something new to learn every day. Download the free iPhone application or find what you’re looking for with the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. happier.com is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter and has meetup groups in Washington, Philadelphia, and Portland, with more planned. Click here for a social media press release from our launch.