I believe every human being has unlimited potential. We must all unlock it to achieve greater things in life. In my opinion, there are three blocking factors that limit your potential. If you recognise these factors in your life and try to overcome them, it will help you uncover the potential in you which you didn’t know existed.
The Three Blocking Factors That Limit Your Potential
The first blocking factor is the ‘I should’ mentality. It is a social construct. We feel that it is common sense to do this as per the norms and common conduct. These common ways of functioning are embedded in our education system and our social circle. Therefore we hesitate to do anything different from the common way. We avoid taking risks and therefore block a potential opportunity to do better.
The second blocking point is other people’s opinions about you. People determine your potential by labelling you as XYZ on the basis of your character. Their opinion may or may not be true. Sometimes, if the person whose validation you seek frequently has an opinion about you, you tend to believe that the most. If their opinion is positive, take it. But if their opinion is not helping you, you have to be mindful.
The third blocking point is our own opinion about ourselves. More times than not we form opinions on the basis of old memories and past experiences.
The Highest Calling Of Leadership
Is To Unlock The Potential Of Others
Carly Fiorina
What To Do To Unlock Your Potential
Here are four steps that will help you unlock your potential:
Recognition
The first and foremost step is to identify the blocking mindset in you. Unconsciously you are limiting yourself based on a bias. To notice this, you simply have to be mindful of what is making you feel demotivated or unconfident about yourself and your progress.
Introspection
Once you have identified what is the limiting thought you must question yourself and see if it is absolutely true to your knowledge.
Cross Checking
Once you question it and begin to open up to break free and try outside of the limiting bias or belief, you must see what progress you are making and confirm that you are going to try harder.
Changing
Use the ultimate flip from I can’t to what if I can. You will see a spirit of trying that begins to work within you. From ‘why should I try when I know I’m not good at this’ to ‘why not try. This will help you to push further from the ‘I am not good at that, ‘I’m not confident’ mindset. This helps you start thinking of ways to achieve it.
A coaching session helps you through and through to make that flip. It gives you an outside perspective to move forward and try outside your limiting bias.
My Experience Of Limited Potential To Unlimited Potential
When I was in school, I was very poor at mathematics and I struggled to get good grades in my math tests. This convinced me that I should take up courses for further studies that do not require math. When I entered the corporate world, I realised, no matter which department you are working in, you have to deal with some kind of numbers. During my work, I would have to deal with numbers for cost calculation, profit calculation and value creation. One day, I had to take the 360 degrees assessment and also another intellectual testing assessment at work. The accessor told me that my math score is almost closer to a hundred per cent and that I’m good at catching numbers.
This changed my life and my opinion about my potential in the field of math. I had been limited all these years due to my own opinion about my potential.