8 Ways To See What You Are Really Capable Of

 

A truth about your potential… 

“I actually forgot that I have potential. Somehow I had closed down or turned the switch off in myself… I feel as if I’ve come to life again…”

These are the words of someone we’ll call Remy. Remy had come to what felt like a dead end. Although she was very committed to her work, it had come to feel uninspired and burdensome. Here is how Remy brought things back to life for herself.

Tell yourself the truth about how uninspired you are
It takes a certain kind of honesty to recognize when you are at a turning point; you have to see what isn’t working. In Remy’s case that involved seeing she had allowed her work to become routine, and she saw just how much she did not look forward to coming to work each day. It wasn’t always like this…

To know where you want to be, you first have to know where you are – and why
Remy knew it hadn’t always been like this; she knew there was a time she felt enthusiastic about her work. And so she answered the following question: When had her work become so routine? If she went back to the time just before, what was happening at that time? 

Find the moment things changed
The moment for Remy was her last review. Expecting a great review she was surprised to learn that someone else was being hired for a position that would include some of Remy’s current responsibilities. Remy was taken off guard and left her boss’s office in a state of profound disappointment. 

Recognize what this moment has cost you
Reflecting back on that moment Remy saw how she had begun to shut herself down. She saw how she had lost her connection to her aspirations. Putting food on the table paled with the excitement she once had felt about her career. Her current work felt more like a dead end rather than a path forward. 

Now what? Is there a conversation to be had?
Seeing how deflated she had become, she looked at what it would take to re-energize herself. In Remy’s case she decided that what she had not explored was a conversation with her boss that allowed her to address what had occurred; one that would let her know what she needed to do on her own behalf. 

Decide how to stand up for yourself
Remy asked for time with her boss. Before she did, she worked through the upsetting emotions left in the wake of this experience – her reflections brought her clarity and a sense of equanimity. From there she wrote down the points to be covered. During the discussion she addressed the fact that her boss had promised to serve as a sponsor for her. Although her boss apologized, she told Remy that her hands were tied and tried to explain why this was so. Remy also shared how she was taken by surprise during her review and asked why her boss had allowed her to be blindsided and not taken the time to prepare her for what was to come. 

Turn a negative into a positive
In a perfect world, people who promise to help forward your career come through with flying colors. But sometimes people can really let you down.  Facing this will empower you – you will either see a different path forward where you are currently employed or feel a freedom to move on. 

Disappointment isn’t a dead end
Rather it is a signal to welcome a turning point in your life, one that you generate from within. You are not in charge of whether someone comes through for you or not, but you are in charge of generating new opportunities to step into your potential. You may not know at this moment exactly what your potential is, but it will be exciting to find out.

 

 

 

Jane Firth, M.Sc., career coach and founder and President of Firth Leadership Partners