Three Things Stop You From Maximizing Your Potential
Conquer them, and your wellness, success, and happiness will expand like crazy
I sometimes ponder why many of us rarely use our knowledge to help us reach our potential. I say us because my observation begins with me. Occasionally, I note I’ve useful wisdom in my knowledge-bank left untapped. I spent ages cramming it into my inner library. Yet, it’s like unread novel gathering dust. What gives?
What stops people from making the most of their know-how?
What if we use our expertise to enhance our health instead of meaning to do it but not getting around to it?
What will happen if we practice deep listening to develop relationships and increase compassion and forgiveness?
Curiosity makes me speculate what stops us from doing those little everyday things that can change us for the better.
Make no mistake, you and I have untapped skills. We just need to use them, and our wellness, success, and happiness will expand like crazy.
We don’t do it, though, because three things hold us back. Conquer them, and you can maximize your potential.
Leave your comfort zone
You’ve heard it all before. Many exponents of self-help demonize the comfort zone, not because it’s dangerous but for the opposite reason. It’s a part-time haven, yet most of us use it as a permanent refuge.
Your comfort zone should be where you go for respite. There’s no growth attached to it.
Unless you shift out of that comfy space you know well, you won’t address niggling problems and change your life for the better.
Change requires you to step into the unknown, a scary place where you aren’t sure what’s around the corner, and it’s awkward.
Don’t let potential unease stop you from exploring possibilities. It’s an enormous world out there, but if you only look at it through the tiny window of your zone, you won’t know it.
Realize change is worthwhile
Occasionally, I consider improving, but I’m not convinced it will make a difference. I talk myself out of it, and perhaps you do the same.
Because I’m aware of my blunder, though, I often talk myself back into change mode. I turn negative self-talk into encouragement.
When change beckons, but a little voice within tells you it won’t help, remember your actions and thoughts accumulate to make a difference. It’s easy to clean your teeth, for instance. And the process only takes a few minutes. Yet, this one small practice prevents your pearly whites from rotting.
I recently began a new habit, and it’s given me more time, simplified my routine, and added to my wellness. I prepare my main meal at the start of the day rather than after work.
My life is easier, and I wonder why I didn’t begin the habit earlier. Still, I’ve learned my lesson. Even the teeniest habit can lead to a better life.
Find your drive
Even when you realize you must adopt a new behavior, you need motivation before anything happens. Many folks say laziness doesn’t exist, but believe me, it does.
There are many reasons we don’t get out of our comfy chairs and embark on self-improvement. One of them is we’re cozy, and exertion requires effort. A life of ease feels good. And relaxing is healthy sometimes. Not too often, though.
Sit too long, and even snails get a head start. You actually have to ditch excuses not to change, including the notion you’re nice and snug lazing instead of being productive.
It’s helpful to note positive changes come with increased energy bursts because they fuel motivation and vitality. So, even though you are happy binge-watching movies and eating popcorn, it’s worth forcing yourself to begin a useful habit. Your zest will expand, and you’ll enjoy what you do more than staring at the screen with a full belly.
Those little things that improve life boost your well-being. It’s easy to pretend they don’t and stay in your comfort zone where you need not exert yourself or face discomfort. But if you don’t use wisdom, it goes to waste, and you’ll never find out how much happier, productive, and smart you can be.
Bridget Webber is a writer and nature lover, often found in the woodland, meadow, and other wild places. She writes poetry and stories and pens psychology articles; her love of discovering what rests inside the thicket and the brain compels her to delve deep. She’s appeared in many leading publications and is the author of Nature Poems to Heal the Heart and Nurture the Soul.
