The Darker Side of “Potential”

Many people feel that they could do more / be more / have more. Or have more impact, or somehow be “more” than they already are. A feeling of greater potential drives many worthwhile developments, both personal and professional.

So far, so good. I have personally derived great benefit from believing in potential, often when I didn’t know what that potential was. But there are also some shadow sides to the “Potential” notion, which I don’t often see brought into the light.?

In one way or another, these all relate to identity and self-worth.

The first of these: talk of potential can be an expression of inadequacy in the present. It's easier to disguise a present-day lack of self-worth by living in a future Optimised Self, comforted by the seductive music of Potential. In this way, I can avoid dealing with core underlying problems, such as procrastination, anxious self-preoccupation, constant changes of course, etc.

When people are driven by self-esteem, they are often setting endless expectations of themselves. In this way, a person gets their identity for “who they are going to be”. Very often, this aspirational identity is a long way from current reality.?

Seductive Music

Of course, there are no lack of gurus and influencers orchestrating the music of Potential. Let's be honest: Potential sells! You will get a lot more followers with a post entitled “You are wonderful beyond measure!” than a post about confronting habits of procrastination. Social media is like a gallery of (free) sugary snacks that often just reinforce the addiction.?

Alas, the allure of potential can make people vulnerable. Almost every week, I hear of somebody losing a lot of money on a program or investment that promised the realisation of potential. Some manipulators are very good at selling the dream.?

The addiction to potential can make people vulnerable to manipulative messaging. Not just teenagers or young people. I have seen many experienced, accomplished professionals seduced by miracle programs that promised an entire new identity. All it was going to take was a belief “in your potential”.

Feet on the Ground

So, do we give up on dreams of potential? Of course not. The key to real progress lies in valuing who we already are. On a self-worth foundation, we get clear on how we are valuable rather than looking for endless adjectives about how valuable we are. We set goals that are an expression of present-day self-worth, rather than yet more conditions of future self-esteem.?

As anyone who’s done it knows, building a solid professional identity is a task of dedication and labour. Just as one cannot run a marathon on a diet of sugary snacks, it takes more than a few inspiring quotes about potential to make success happen.?

Further Resources

- Take the free 25 day course on valuing yourself for who you already are: here

- You can download the first chapter of the book “The Self-Worth Safari” here: how to clarify and deepen self-worth, particularly when going through transition

- Webinars on self-worth and professional identity: here

- Book a call with me: here to discuss individual professional identity challenges, to explore in-house programs for your team, or to develop as a Professional Identity Facilitator.

? John Niland, March 2023. For enquiries about John as coach or speaker, on topics of self-worth and professional identity, see www.selfworthacademy.com or email [email protected]