We all have amazing potential within us. We might be able to accomplish a lot if we tapped into it, but often that potential gets ignored and withers. By applying a few simple solutions, however, we can improve who we are and what we are capable of. Here are seven ways to unleash your true potential and grow whatever skills you want.
1. List your strengths
It’s easy to recognize our flaws and weaknesses, but what about our strengths? Make a list of your strengths, talents, and abilities.
What are the things you do best? What characteristics make you stand apart from other people? When you list your strengths, you can feel more aware of your talents and the abilities you can develop further.
2. Ask others what they recognize in you
It can be hard to see ourselves in a positive light if we are used to focusing on the negatives. Asking others for their support can help us recognize talents we were not even aware of and stop looking at our strengths as something we take for granted. Other people can help us see who we are in a new light.
Another person can point out things that we would never see and help us gain a new perspective on who we are. However, make sure you ask those who know you well and who want to help you. Steer clear of people who like to put others down.
3. Don’t be afraid of taking risks
Our potential can be explored when we allow ourselves to do things we don’t normally do. Taking risks with our decisions, behaviors, and efforts can lead to unexpected effects – we might discover we can do more, learn from a wholly new area, and see our potential grow in a way that we might not have anticipated.
If you have always been into numbers and facts, take a chance and try something artistic and vice versa. Make a bold choice and see where it takes you.
4. Say yes
Often, we limit ourselves. We say no to potential opportunities before even giving them a chance. Try saying yes for a while and see where it takes you.
Agree to new opportunities, projects, experiences, and more, especially if they take you to places you’ve never been before. You can always say no later, but the chance to try something out might not come again so easily.
5. Learn a skill you’ve never had
There is no such thing as wasted work or learning. Whatever knowledge and skills we acquire, they can help us develop aspects of ourselves and boost our potential. You might try to learn something that is completely new. It’s good for us to be beginners at something and take chances.
Find a skill you never imagined yourself having and try your hand at it. It doesn’t matter whether you fail or succeed – the experience is what matters.
6. Go beyond your capacity
Sometimes, we hold ourselves back. We believe that we are not able to do something or fear that we will fail, so we stay in our comfort zone. However, by doing this, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to truly understand what we are capable of. Push yourself beyond your limits and try doing something you never imagined.
The results can shock you and help you move past any self-imposed boundaries you have. Try yourself, and you will likely find you can do more than you expected.
7. Be compassionate to yourself
If you push yourself too hard, you might burn out. Your potential might not get developed as much as you expect it to under relentless pressure. Learning and doing new things requires energy, and you can’t have it when you are exhausted.
To grow your potential, nurture it with compassion. Step outside of your comfort zone, but don’t force yourself to go to places you are fully uncomfortable with.
Take it step by step, and the results will be more lasting and effective than in a situation where you are stressed and tired. Be mindful of how you think about your achievements and failures. Don’t be harsh on yourself if you made a mistake because it will make it harder for you to try something new. Accept yourself as you are, and that will help you grow far more than you might have expected.
