4 Keys To Leveraging Your True Potential

This morning at the gym, the Yoga instructor started of saying- “Everyone has problems and I am sure you have many.  Do remember, all your problems will get solved eventually. But, now is not a time to worry about it. Instead focus on your breathing and get ready for the session ahead.”

I was struck by the simplicity of this statement. We often spend time worrying about a lot of things that bother us, forgetting that many of them are something we can do nothing about. Some of these problems we can deal with only when they occur and so there is no point worrying about them right now.

But, sometimes we also ignore issues that are staring at us in our face and we refuse to recognize them just because they are not urgent! 

The fact is, you can never achieve your fullest potential if you are constantly being held back by anything. Here are some strategies that could help you leverage your full potential. 

1.  Never Lose Track Of The Bigger Picture

One of my previous bosses, Chandra, the CEO of TCS has an uncanny ability to focus on issues of strategic importance and delegate tasks that are largely operational. In doing so, he manages to free up a lot of his time for things that really matter.  His relentless focus on the bigger picture has given results that are there for anyone to see. 

“It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts.” 
~ Ella Fitzgerald 

We spend a lot of time on things that are unimportant but urgent and very little time on things that are very important but not urgent. Think about it, how often have you answered your phone while you were in the middle of something very important only to find a telemarketer at the other end? Or, how frequently have you checked your mail during the last week, spending time on something that could potentially eat into your time? 

But, if you were to ask yourself when was the last time you did a reality check on your career to see where you are headed, what would your answer be? You will probably have to think really hard and may still not come up with an answer.

If your focus in life is on all small, inconsequential things then the bigger things in your life, your career, your relationships, your areas of passion, all take a backseat. I have come across several high-level executives in companies, scurrying from task to task trying to involve themselves in too many things at the same time, and not accomplishing anything of consequence.

Sometime important issues that were not urgent become very urgent and then, there is a lot of turbulence in your life, trying to get things in order.  For instance, if you allow your health to deteriorate to an extent that your capacity to work is impaired, then you have a huge challenge on your hands. 

It would be different, if you kept the bigger picture in sight. Then you would make time for things that are very important even though they are not urgent! 

2.  If You Have Too Many Things To Prove To Others, You Have Very Little To Add To Yourself

If you are constantly trying to position yourself as something you are not, then you not only end up wasting a lot of your energy, but also come across as insecure and false. 

“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.”

– John Ruskin

One of my colleagues is brilliant in his field of work, which is technology. However, he had a problem communicating in English and was very conscious of it.  In a bid to compensate, he ended up trying to speak with an accent using words that didn’t quite make sense.

In the process, he came across as a person trying to impress others with something he did not have and ended up diluting his credibility in the technology area itself, where he was unmatched to begin with.

In trying to prove a point you could sometimes end up losing what you have going well for you.  Accepting yourself for what you are, can go a long way in helping you realize your true potential. 

3.  Recognizing What You Have And Being True To Yourself Can Be Very Liberating

Even if you have a million siblings, there cannot be someone identical to you and that applies to identical twins also. Which means, there has to be something about you that is unique and also something that you are very good at.

If you are fortunate to recognize what you like to do, what you are good at and end up working in a manner that is fulfilling, you are being true to your aspirations and capabilities.

However, many of us are not that fortunate and end up in careers that we are either not suited to or do not like the work it entails. Either way, it will lead to a conflict in your lives and even if you do nothing about it, this unresolved issue could trouble you.

Think of it as something like being in a troubled relationship. If you decide to nothing about it, neither the relationship will improve nor will your own satisfaction in being in that relationship, improve.

The key is to do something about it before it is too late whether it is getting into a job that leverages your strengths or a career that makes you genuinely happy.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

~Michelangelo Buonarroti 

4.  Keep Strategic Unresolved Issues In Your Life, To A Bare Minimum

One of my colleagues decided to move and take up a high-pressure job at a position that was way better than his last one. All this was good, but for the fact that in his previous job he always spent as much time as possible with his two children (one of whom was differently abled) and this was very important to him.

After he got into the new assignment he immersed himself in his work and soon built a sterling reputation in his new company. When I met him after almost a year I complemented him on his success but was surprised to see how unhappy he was. It turned out that he barely saw his family. He travelled incessantly and was seldom home even on weekends. I could see that the guilt of not being around for his children was eating him inside.   

The point is, an unresolved issue like this can be very detrimental to your well being and productivity.

Either you accept what you cannot change or change what you cannot accept. Half measures seldom work!

You can run, but unresolved issues- good or bad will meet you at your destination. ~Bernadette Robinson

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About the Author: Srinivasan is an independent consultant working in the area of strategy and technology interventions in the public sector domain. He has worked in companies like IBM and TCS and has over 30 years of experience spanning 24 countries.

Some of the author's other posts-

Back To The Future: Strategy For Career Growth

5 Powerful Management Lessons From The Animal Kingdom

The Art Of Making A Brilliant Presentation

Nine Myths of Success

Smart Cities- Will Innovation Be The Key?

Why Creating An Enabling Ecosystem Is Key To Smart Cities 

Image courtesy-Flickr

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