Discovering your potential takes a lifetime of self-discovery and personal growth, which includes understanding your unique abilities, talents, strengths, and passions.

I really didn’t embark or embrace my journey until later in life…  It’s not that I was content to float along, but without mentorship or guidance it just wasn’t something on my radar.

I guess I always wanted more from life.

Clearly, I had been already engaged in this process but at an unconscious level.

Once I began practicing greater self-reflection and learning more about my motivations, values and goals I slowly began to understand that I was the only one who could help me reach my potential.

As my dad used to say, “you have to push your own barrow in life”.

Wise words!

Of course, it’s one thing to discover your potential and quite another to then do something with it.

Now you would think that we’re all equally motivated, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.  Each of us has to find the motivation from within…

Sometimes it’s as easy as taking action to get started, others require a plan with clear goals and yet others seek help.

There is no right or wrong way to begin, but the most important aspect is that you get started.

I personally found getting started the biggest hurdle to overcome, but once I began the process of discovering the limits of my potential it became easier.   Staying focused and committed to your goals and passions day-in-day-out is where many people fail.

They lose sight of the why…

To help me on a day-to-day basis I used positive self-talk to help me overcome the little voice in my head that kept saying that I was an imposter, or that I was a loser or not good enough.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

I didn’t realize that beat myself up inside for everyday mistakes and that I needed to be more forgiving and supportive of me.

We all do it to varying degrees, but I realized that I so hard on myself that it was difficult to feel good about my myself and the small accomplishments and progress I was making.

Ultimately, I had to rewire my brain to use positive self-talk on a consistent basis.

I’m always a little surprised and shocked when I hear a friend or colleague criticize or admonish themselves for a mistake, they believe they’ve made.  I often ask them to be kinder to themselves as I explain my discovery about positive self-talk.

The reality is that we will all face challenges and hurdles in our lives.

Sometimes these may feel insurmountable, but if you’re willing to seek advice and be open to new ways of looking at the situation you’re often surprised to find that there are different ways to approach it.

Building your persistence and resilience during these difficult times ultimately helps you adapt and keep moving forward.

It also helps you identify a network of support around you and define tactics for facing issues in the future.

This ongoing positive growth mindset enables you to continue toward discovering your potential.

The other thing I’ve learned is that discovering your potential is not a destination but a lifelong journey.  I believe we have limitless potential if we’re willing to dream big, work hard and go for it!

An aspect that I believe is overlooked, well it certainly was in my case is celebrating our wins, even the small ones.

This took me a long time to figure out, as I would be solely focused on the next goal or objective and wouldn’t stop and celebrate but continue to plow on…

Spending just a moment to stop and give yourself an emotional pat on the back for your accomplishment.  It’s what I call a “green apple moment”.

It’s the momentary pause to acknowledge your achievement emotionally that helps nurture you and provide you with the fuel to continue on, as if you were enjoying a juicy green apple.

Few achieve their potential without the love and support of those closest to them.

Whether it’s your spouse, friends, family, coach, or mentor we all need a level of support to both act as a sounding board, but also to cheer us on from the sidelines.

Discovering your potential is no ordinary journey.

There are times when your emotional state will be at its lowest ebb, and your energy depleted. It’s in these situations that your network can provide its greatest help and support.

A word of encouragement, a pat on the back or just being there to listen can make all the difference.

Finding the courage and fortitude to persevere every day opens up all sorts of possibilities for unique and fulfilling opportunities to discover your potential.

Remembering to stay open and keeping that positive mindset makes all the difference in your outlook on life and indeed on your lifelong journey.

Stay committed!

Until next week

Ciao

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