‘Potential’ is one of the most wonderful words in the world. It looks forward with optimism. It is filled with hope. It promises success. It hints at greatness. It is based on possibilities.
Sure you know that feeling; when you start a new project, buy a new car, create a new Facebook page, have a new baby, start a new business, just got married… It’s that exhilarating feeling of new possibilities, full of potential.
What about unfulfilled potential? As mentioned in an earlier post, that phrase is just as negative as the word potential is positive.
Do you know that just as you look to new ventures with excitement, you should look at your life with even more excitement. EVERY DAY! You are full of potential. And your potential is infinite.
Here is a question for you…
What is that great idea, business plan or opportunity you are sitting on for some time now? Why are you not doing anything about it? Yes I know you are doing a lot of things right now.
You are really very busy… BUT are you doing the things that matter the most to you? Are you pursuing those things that will fetch you the highest returns? Are you your own limit? Are you eating that frog so to speak.
In his book ‘Eat That Frog’, Brian Tracy said he got to a point where he started to ask himself “why is it that other people are doing better than I am?” And then he did something that totally changed his life. He went to successful people and asked them what they were doing. And they told him. He did what they advised him to do, and the result? He grew. Due to the process of learning and applying what he learnt and he became successful. Very very successful.
Simply put, some people are doing better than others because they do certain things differently and they do the right things right and at the right time. Especially, they use their time far, far better than the average person. They understand they’ve got potential and are determined to reach its fullness.
An average person who develops the habit of setting clear priorities, kick the habit of sitting on his most productive ideas, and getting important things started and completed, quickly run circles around a genius who talks a lot and makes wonderful plans but gets very little done.
What do you wish you could do in life and you aren’t doing right now?
[Tweet “Not reaching your potential is like dying with the music still inside of you.”]
I believe you have the desire to reach your potential. So the question is how do you do it?
The answer is Growth.
Most people underestimate the unimportance of nearly everything in their lives. They get distracted. As a result, they put growth and the pursuit of those things that are truly important on the back burner.
Here are some of the reasons people do not take the steps toward reaching their full potentials:
The Fear Factor
Too many people are afraid of one thing or the other. They allow fear take them off the path they should be on.
Here a some of the fear factors that cause people’s potential to remain unfulfilled:
The fear of failure
The fear of trading security for the unknown
The fear of being over extended financially
The fear of what others will say or think
The fear that your success will alienate your peers
The Timing ‘Rut’
While time waits for no one some people subconsciously believe time is on their side. Because of this attitude, they lack a sense of urgency and believe that they can afford to choose a convenient time to start. For this people the start time is just never right. They often say ‘Its not the right time.’
If this is you – just when is the right time? Are you wearing a wrist watch right now? If you aren’t wearing one *hint, it’s time to get one. If you are, is it working? Now please take a quick glance at your watch, when does it say ‘someday’ or ‘soon’?
Frank Clark said “what great accomplishment we’d have in the world if everybody had done what they intended to do”
Listen if you do not act quickly on your decisions you will find yourself subject to the law of Diminishing Intent, which says, ‘the longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it’ oops!
Could that be why that Idea, project, call or business of yours that has been sitting on the shelve for years now is even harder to jump start now?
Lack of Inspiration
Those stuck in this rut never lift a muscle if they do not feel inspired to do so. They will not act unless they feel like.
Ever heard Nike’s slogan? Just do it! You may not feel inspired to aggressively pursue those plans if you haven’t started yet. If that’s the case, please trust me when I say that the reason to keep growing to reach your potential far outweigh the reason to start.
A piece of good counsel – do it without motivation. Usually after you start doing the thing, that’s when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.
Harvard psychologist Jerome Bruner says, “You are more likely to act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action”
So act! Whatever it is you know you should do, do it!
Perfectionism
Those in this category have a need to be perfect. They will not start unless they are perfectly sure it is perfect. They have to find the best way before they start.
If this is you, you have it backwards. It’s like trying to learn how to swim before going into the pool. You have to get started to find the best way. Growing up or starting up is a very messy business.
A child learning to eat by herself will definitely mess her whole face and clothes up, including yours and everything else in her way. But in time she will get better. Never be afraid of this. It’s part of growing up. Understand this and give yourself permission to grow.
The Expectation Rut
People who fall in this category have at one time or another, started on their way but challenges stopped them in their tracks because they thought the journey would be easier than it turned out to be.
Does this describe you? Look around you, if you ever meet anyone who thinks that anything worth pursuing comes easy, then that person has already set himself up to fail.
Successful people know that climbing to the top is never easy. It doesn’t just happen. There is no such thing as luck in their dictionary. Just In case you are of the belief that there is such a thing as luck;
Here’s how successful people create their own luck:
Step 1 – They prepare themselves
Step 2 – They maintain a positive attitude at all times
Step 3 – They look out for, recognize and seize opportunities
Step 4 – They take action
And the Result? LUCK.
Bottom line there is no such things as sitting around and getting lucky except perhaps you are Pharrell Williams.
Just as an Acorn seed can never become a formidable Oak tree if it doesn’t grow, you will never reach your potential except you grow. In order to grow, you must be highly intentional about it.
You need to learn how to grow and develop yourself so you have the best chance of becoming the person you were created to be.You need to develop the right attitude, learn more about your strength, tap into your passion, become more in touch with your purpose and develop your skills so you can be all you can be.
The only person who puts a limit to how far you can go on your success journey is you.
The ball is in your court. Serve!
