Are you someone who solves complex problems and works hard for worthy causes but also feels spread too thin? You’re not alone: Burnout happens all the time in nonprofits, given our limited time and resources. So how can we ensure that we make the best use of what we have?

Most importantly, one must be a guardian of our time and talents in the same way we protect our bank accounts. Every day we think through tradeoffs: Spending time and money on X leaves less for Y. That’s why achieving clarity about our professional mission means confidently saying “no” and freeing ourselves for more valuable pursuits. Savvy nonprofit professionals know this, but too few know how to do it.

Fred Rogers was far too humble to call it his “superpower,” but his clear understanding of his own skills and passion for the children he served—a unique combination of expertise in childhood development, a desire to be a “healer of creation” rooted in his Presbyterian seminary training, and a deep interest in the burgeoning field of children’s television—sharpened his focus. He turned down lucrative offers from television studios, stayed on course, and eventually created a wildly successful and influential nonprofit production company.

Armed with this type of clarity, one’s motivation and commitment can more effectively drive organizational performance. If we aren’t operating at our creative and innovative best, not only are we unfulfilled but our nonprofits’ beneficiaries lose out, too.

What’s more, in a rapidly changing world, being clear about our talents helps us find our place in it. Employers are spending massive resources searching for talent. There is a reshuffling as people reevaluate their roles and expectations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical location might be less of a constraint; your dream role might be virtual. There is no better time to be clear about our strengths and passions.

If someone asked you to describe your secret superpower—your unique gifts, skills, and strengths—what would you say? What fulfills you? Think about what you contribute to your work, family, and community.

Consider software engineer Clementine Jacoby, a Stanford graduate who worked on augmented games at Google. Ever since she spent one year of her studies in a circus in Brazil, teaching acrobatics to gang members, she couldn’t stop thinking about the criminal justice system. Using her superpower—tech knowledge—she developed an artificial intelligence algorithm to quickly sort through case backlogs to identify prisoners who could safely be released. Her nonprofit, Recidiviz, brought about the early release of tens of thousands of prisoners in 30 states during the pandemic.

In the charitable space, you might value principles or the psychic benefit of advancing a mission over other career options. Altruism might be one of your superpowers. You might have great people skills. You might be a whiz with technology or numbers.

We tend to get caught up in the busyness of our lives and may not realize our own gifts. You may want to take an online skills inventory, such as the CliftonStrengths self-assessment offered by Gallup or the High5 Test. Ask your colleagues to give you feedback on your strengths. They won’t mind. Your unique talents, long admired by your colleagues, might take you by surprise. Ask yourself: Of your various talents and skills, which brings you the most personal satisfaction? Which puts fire in your belly?

As I wrote in my book, a nonprofit leader once told me that we tend to be biased in favor the status quo, and we get comfortable in our routines. His advice? “Always assume you aren’t in the right job. Then ask: Am I in the right role? What would I be doing if I were not in this current role? How would I design my dream role and market myself if I were an independent consultant?” These questions kept him from falling into a career rut. He productively changed roles at his nonprofit three times in five years, steadily taking on greater responsibilities and moving teams—and finally left the organization. A few years later, he was hired back as executive director.

A superpower might come from a completely unexpected mix of interests from distinct fields such as economics and chess or (in Rogers’ case) puppetry and seminary. How might your wide-ranging interests come together in a unique way?

Many nonprofit founders discovered their calling because of a major challenge such as an addiction or racial injustice. Rogers suffered from severe childhood asthma and, because he was often on his own, became quite skilled at creating puppets and skits. Your trials might reveal something that shapes and motivates your work.

Know thyself, as the great philosophers say. Seek out great questions and then answer them yourself. In Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World, Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross share interview questions designed to draw out hidden talents and find contrarian thinkers—questions such as “What is it you do to practice that is analogous to how a pianist practices scales?” or “What are 10 words your spouse or partner or friend would use to describe you?” You might ask yourself these questions prior to your annual performance review, or if you are considering a new job or organization.

To stretch your imagination, write out your ideal job description, a business plan for your dream nonprofit, a strategy for your moonshot nonprofit program, a syllabus for a topic you would love to teach, or a personal strategic plan.

Once you have a better sense of your strengths, ask whether you are making the best use of them. Do you keep performing lower-value tasks or busy work out of habit? Do you make the highest-value use of your time? What should you refuse to do? What would free you for more entrepreneurial and creative endeavors? Let’s not allow daily demands to distract us into leaving value on the table or selling ourselves short.

Nonprofits are solving some of the world’s most pressing problems and building civil society, so give yours the very best of your time, talents, and resources. Setting aside some time to identify what this means will benefit the rest of us. The people and causes we serve are counting on us.

Finally, take a cue from actress, screenwriter, and producer Mindy Kaling: “[W]rite your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.”

Leah Kral is the author of Innovation for Social Change: How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results (Wiley, 2022) and a senior director of strategy and innovation at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.