Recently, I told you about the power of lateral moves that my Sales, Authenticity & Success (Sassy) Diamond Mastermind members and I experienced during our retreat at Miraval.

The ahas were coming fast and furiously during that rock-climbing Sassy Activity.

One of my Diamonds, Anne Barab, discovered that when she quit trying to pull herself up the rock-climbing wall with her weaker arms and instead started lifting with her much stronger legs, she could effortlessly step up to the top.

That opened up a powerful discussion about how, in business, we often try to do our heavy lifting with our weakest muscles. We strike out in new areas instead of utilizing the strengths we’ve already developed.

For example, Anne has more than 30 years of leadership expertise, including being the first female COO at a $1.5 billion mortgage bank and an elected school board official! But, initially, when she was transitioning to being an entrepreneur, she wasn’t embracing those leadership strengths. She was venturing into other areas.

Finally, she took all of those developed leadership muscles and applied them as an entrepreneur. Her leadership expertise now forms the basis of her business, and that has made all the difference.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try new things—especially if you haven’t been doing what you truly love to do.

I just think it’s far too common for women, especially, to discount what we know. We think that what we already know isn’t good enough or strong enough, when it’s often the most valuable gift we could offer. Or we fail to see how massive and valuable the contribution we already make is, and thus, don’t set the investment to work with us at a level that is equal to the huge transformation our work really provides.

So the next time you’re inclined to discount your expertise, think of Anne on that rock-climbing wall and reconsider your strengths.

Where are you already an expert? What do you do easily that others struggle with? Where have you been of greatest service?

Acknowledge those powerful muscles you’ve already developed, and lift yourself up from there.