What You Need to Do to Unleash Your Potential

In the seminars and trainings I've done across the country, I have sometimes asked participants, “How many of you believe you have more potential than you've been able to turn into reality?” Every hand in the room would go up; some fast, and some slower. We know we are capable of more than we realize, but sometimes we're not sure how to pull it off.  Here are three keys:

Be clear on what you want: It's easy to live the life others think we should live. It takes courage to do the work needed to uncover what is important enough to you that you will make it happen regardless of fears, obstacles and setbacks. When you identify what you really want, you will be unstoppable.

Think bigger, take small steps:  Getting clear on what you really want in life requires thinking bigger than we're used to. We often bury our real desires under small ones and then settle in life. Think big, really big, then bigger. Once you're there, it's time to break the larger picture into small steps.  Make them small enough to match where your confidence and skills are now—and then get going.

Be urgent—but be patient: To unleash more of our potential, we have to feel a sense of urgency. Otherwise, we'll pay more attention to our excuses than our opportunities. To increase your urgency, think about the “why” behind your dream and how it will change your life. But remember to be patient. Without patience, we have unrealistic expectations and we get discouraged and quit.
 

-Alan Allard, Leadership Coach/Life Coach
www.alanallard.com