Do you want to find your potential? I mean, REALLY want to?
Do you want to discover your true potential because you’re tired of just existing instead of thriving? Have you gone through life accepting that “it is what it is”? Do you feel like you don’t have enough support, money, or other good circumstances to change it for the better?
One sad truth to realize is how accurate it would be to assume that most people have never truly fulfilled their potential. Through the negative input that we read, hear, and tell ourselves, we lose the courage to ask for more out of life.
Are You TRULY Reaching your potential Or Are you settling?
When you want to find your potential in your life or anything else for that matter, you'll have to commit to not settling for mediocrity.
Many of us have settled for things we didn’t want, at least for a time. This is simply because we were too afraid to pursue anything better. Worse yet, we as humans are naturally so skilled at justifying anything and everything in our minds, that we invent fables, limiting beliefs, and “reasons” why we can’t have what we want.
Even though these lies can be dispelled, many of us tell ourselves we don’t have time, even when we each are given the same 24 hours in a day, and a variety of tools at our disposal to plan those hours.
When we actually take the time to change our mindset, we still fear the hard work it would take to get where we want to be. Besides that, many of us even fear the idea of success itself!
Discover your potential by going deeper with your mindset and creating goals that might feel a little too big because discovering your potential is all about stepping out of mediocrity and into a version of yourself that does the difficult things.
What is the potential of a person: Your greatness is in each of us…
For one fear or another, we either don’t pursue greatness in the first place, or we reach some level of greatness and stay comfortable within it, never growing beyond it.
Regardless of the great things we may achieve in a lifetime, it’s important to understand that there is always room to grow, and we can always keep reaching for more and more distant stars!
To realize your true potential in life is to have true courage.
There is no denying the fact that you can’t grow or advance without leaving your comfort zone. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, the people we look up to and see as being successful didn’t get where they are without experiencing some amount of pain or discomfort along the path.
To find your potential in anything in life, whether it be your career, your relationships, or your health and fitness, courage will play a major part in the process. That part of us that wants to discover our potential is the same part that holds us back and keeps us living a small existence.
The potential of a person is individual yet when I'm coaching my clients, they seem to live their lives based on "shoulds" and what other people may think they should do.
Sometimes, you've just got to "fake it till you make it." You can probably recall a time when you felt afraid or weren't sure you could succeed, but you stood up and met the challenge head-on.
Discovering your inner strength is possible, even in the toughest of times. Following the steps below will help you discover your courage and resourcefulness. And with this self-understanding, you can handle anything!
There are situations in life that trigger everyone to feel vulnerable. You may feel unsure about how to respond. To fulfill your potential, learn to focus your efforts on letting go of your insecurities.
Reaching your potential will NEVER be the easiest thing you do. It takes courage and planning.
The Simple Steps To Find Your Potential
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The first step that seems to be most difficult is, knowing what you want. Reaching for your potential means you'll have to learn to be honest. This comes from lots of inner thought but here's a question that can help.
If you could wave a magic wand and everything is exactly how it should be, what would that look like?
When you want to find your potential, you'll need this kind of clarity. Now write out the answer as if it's a script for a movie. This is what discovering your potential is all about. It's about listening to that inner voice who wants more out of life but when you know what you want, having clarity will only take you so far.
2
Now that you have some clarity around what you need to do to reach your potential, it's time to go to work to make it happen.
Begin by setting goals. Write out a list of what you want for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and so on.
There's no way that you'll be able to create the life you really want if you don't schedule your goals in advance.
3
Reaching your potential will require constant work with your mindset which will ultimately stem from how bad you want the life you say you do. When you've determined that you'll be true to the goals, you'll need to understand that there may be failures along the way and this is why you could stumble and quit building this dream life. When you DECLARE and DECIDE that you WILL do what it takes, you'll need to change your standards.
Some of what will be important to reach your potential is, changing your standards. What this video to learn about what I mean and how important it will be for your success.
The steps to find your potential aren't difficult, it's more about not taking the steps at all. This is because most of us lack the mindset and the standards to stand up and do the inner work.
The Mindset Find Your Potential.
During the time that I spent working as a skincare professional, I instinctively knew that I was not living my real purpose, and I was definitely not reaching my true potential.
I could see that I had room to grow, but I was frightened by what it would take to do that. So I stayed in it for as long as I did because I took comfort in the good money that it brought me. Just like the majority of society today.
I knew that I had the potential to do more for the world than cure acne or tighten wrinkles. Even still, I know that I can be so much more. All of us can! So what’s the biggest difference between now and then?
The difference is that now I am constantly looking for ways to push myself, and you should, too. Because each of us deserve more than to settle for being ‘good enough’.
You have to begin the journey to find your potential before you can ever truly understand how fulfilling and exhilarating life can be. You were put on this earth for a much bigger reason than just to survive another day.
I’m not suggesting that I’ve never taken the easy way out, by seeking short term pleasure over long-term gain. Of course I’ve done that before. Sometimes, I still do, and that’s okay. But over time, and with practice, I’ve gradually improved at seeing the big picture, and so will you.
So maybe you don’t altogether feel like a total loser. I sure hope not, and if you don’t, I am happy for you. Really, I am! That’s a win that deserves recognition.
However, “good enough” can only be just that for a short time before you start to feel a bit… dissatisfied. (Especially if you’re living to be “good enough” for someone or something other than you; whether it’s society’s standards, to make enough money to survive, or because of your doting Mom’s expectations.)
How to live life to your fullest potential
Without living a life designed around your purpose, you will never experience your potential, and there will always be that void that sits at the back of your mind – that nagging emptiness that makes going about your day feel that much more grueling.
One of the most tragic human emotions to experience is regret.
If you learn how to realize your true potential now, your only regret will be not finding out sooner!
When I sold my spa business, I felt the temporary pain of letting go of all that hard work. Still, I knew that it wouldn’t come anywhere near the long-term regret I’d have if I’d kept it forever.
This is exactly what so many people don’t realize until they’ve gotten “too old” and feel like it’s “too late”. Many even realize it early on, but don’t act on it out of fear!
It was the very same thing when it came to moving to all of the many cities and states that I’ve seen in my lifetime. The fear of regret, and the cliché but wise saying, “You’ll never know until you try it,” was what drove me to explore my options.
It’s important to realize that the temporary discomfort of hard work or struggle is nothing. Especially compared to living out the rest of your lifetime wishing that you’d truly tried to find your potential.
I did fear the discomfort involved with moving. Uprooting, having to get to know my way around all over again, and all the stress of the stress of planning and packing… Staying true to what I wanted, and how I’d feel if I never tried to find it was enough to make the move anyway.
It was only through enduring that discomfort first that I would have been able to discover anything more. Without it, I never would have known that there was better for me out there than the dry heat of Arizona. A lot of money was spent. I’ve seen a lot of stress. Sure, but I’ve learned so much about myself in the process.
To find your potential in your own life, you'll need to stay true to what YOU want.
Reaching Your Potential Means You Must Know That A Better Experience Is Waiting For You.
There is better for you out there, too. You just need to have the courage to go after it regardless of the discomfort along the path. That pain you’re afraid of experiencing could not possibly be worse than the regret of finally opening your eyes at eighty years old and realizing you never truly tried.
Also remember, that you have to be authentic to find your potential and people have a LOT of fear around truly being themselves.
Most people don’t come anywhere near fulfilling their true potential. The reason is because of that fear of pain and discomfort. Not only that, but we know that it will take a lot of hard work; which is, on its own, uncomfortable for most.
To find your potential, you'll need to have more than courage, you'll need CLARITY. This means you need to know EXACTLY what you want.
With my previous experience as an athlete, physique competitor, and personal trainer, I came to know many people who aspired to reach great goals with their bodies. The interesting yet sad reality, however, was that many of my peers failed to ever hit it big and win those beautiful, shiny trophies they craved.
Worse yet, one of the reasons I quit my career as a personal trainer was similar. It was because most of my own clients never committed to doing what it took. Why? They were afraid of the work!
One reason many people never get even close to a life of fulfilling potential is their mind is sabotaging them. You might think that’s a weird thing to say because your brain is part of you. It should have your best interests at heart, right?
Well, yes, of course it should – and it does. Unfortunately, just like the tech support “expert” you spoke with, our brain can have good intentions but still get in our way.
Afraid To Find Your Potential?
All of us have wants and desires but do we have what it takes to go out to find our potential and live the life we're truly meant to experience?
The next issue we struggle with as humans are, the fight or flight instinct, or, in this case, fear and comfort; a primal part of our brain that only thinks about just that.
We don’t always realize that the decisions we make every day are so often based on avoiding fear. When it’s not about that, it’s about seeking comfort or pleasure.
One great starting point to find your potential is to set goals that really push you.
There’s no problem aiming high with goal setting. It’s impossible to dream too big, and anyone who has told you that it is probably thinks they’re saving you . They don’t want you to experience feeling like a failure if you don’t succeed.
Discovering your potential means to aim for the stars without the fear of missing.
Ask yourself this: What’s better?
Setting a goal to earn $100k next year, and successfully reaching it-
…or setting a goal to earn a million dollars and only getting to $900k?
Some people think that if they miss a goal, they’re a failure. I can assure you, that’s nonsense! To never try is to fail. EVERY successful person fails. The difference that makes them successful? They learn from their mistakes, adjust accordingly, and begin again with new knowledge and insight.
You may not have reached your goal, but you’re not a failure. Failure is not what defines you unless you allow it to by consciously deciding not to grow from it and learn. As the wise Albert Einstein says, “When a man stops learning, he begins dying.”
I’ll help you gain the strength to let go of what you can’t change, then find the courage to commit to changing what you can.
When you’re dedicated to doing what it takes to make hard work into a habit, only then will you be able to start growing again and find your potential!
I believe in my heart that anyone can achieve their fullest potential. Discovering your potential in life takes courage, commitment and action.
Reach out now to work directly with me in online life coaching!
In an online coaching session, I’ll provide everything you need to feel confident and fired up to find your potential.
Sharon Lee, Your Online Life Coach
About The Author: Sharon Lee
Career | Wellness | Business | Relationship
It's my life’s purpose to help you identify, clarify and realize your dreams. To help you create new goals and dreams and keep you accountable in the process.
The great thing about Life Coaching is it’s all about collaboration. I show up and meet you right where you are in life providing you with the tools and support. My clients say it's life changing and I'm honored to share in the journey with you.
Come open yourself up to the possibilities.
My dream is to show you how you can have it ALL - a thriving life and business built on your soul-aligned purpose, designed around your LIFE instead of the other way around, leaving you with time and money for everything that matters to you.