Yesterday, during our Safe Haven Support Sphere Wednesday lunch-hour webinar, we had an incredibly enriching session on Understanding Personal Potential and Setting Goals. The session was facilitated by
CS CHRP Solomon Kiawa, PhD
., and hosted by our resident counselor, Anastacia Mugo. It was a dynamic 1-hour conversation where we explored key ideas about unlocking personal potential and making meaningful goals.
?Dr. Solomon guided us through insightful discussions, offering practical strategies for identifying and harnessing our unique abilities and aligning them with our long-term goals.
?As part of the session, we delved into the following insights:?
- Self-Actualization and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: According to Abraham Maslow, everyone has the potential to self-actualize, which represents the fulfillment of one’s potential and the desire for self-improvement. Maslow posited that self-actualization involves achieving personal growth, realizing one’s talents, and becoming the best version of oneself. He believed that all individuals possess an innate drive toward self-actualization, but they must first satisfy their more basic physiological, safety, love and belonging, and esteem needs. Maslow's perspective suggests that while the journey to self-actualization is unique for each individual, the potential for it exists in everyone.
- The Dimensions of Personal Growth: Personal growth is a multi-dimensional process that includes various aspects of one's life, such as emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and physical growth. Each dimension plays a crucial role in overall well-being and self-improvement. For instance, emotional growth involves understanding and managing feelings, leading to healthier relationships and better resilience. Mental growth focuses on expanding knowledge and cognitive skills, while social growth entails building connections and communication skills. Spiritual growth is about finding deeper meaning and purpose, often guiding values and ethics. Physical growth emphasizes maintaining a healthy body through exercise and nutrition. Recognizing these dimensions helps individuals set more comprehensive goals that address their holistic development, such as a goal to meditate daily for spiritual growth or join a public speaking club to enhance social skills.?
- The Importance of Understanding Personal Potential: Understanding personal potential is crucial, as it represents the capacity within each individual to grow, develop, and achieve their best possible version by leveraging their unique strengths, talents, and capabilities. Recognizing this potential helps individuals to pursue their goals more effectively, leading to personal fulfillment and a deeper sense of purpose. For instance, a teacher who recognizes their expertise for engaging students may pursue advanced certifications to become a mentor for new educators, thereby maximizing their impact. Similarly, an entrepreneur who understands their ability to innovate might seek out opportunities in emerging markets, aligning their potential with strategic business goals.?
- Rediscovering Hidden Talents and Strengths: Some individuals have hidden talents and unexploited strengths, while others may have lost them due to life challenges. Despite these setbacks, it is possible to recover, rediscover, and cultivate one’s potential. It is never too late to explore and develop these inherent capabilities. For example, Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, famously rediscovered his potential later in life. After many business failures and struggles, he began selling his fried chicken recipe at the age of 65, which eventually turned into the global KFC brand. His story shows that success and untapped potential can be found even after facing numerous setbacks.?Closer to home, Charity Mwangi, popularly known for her role in Mother-in-Law, rediscovered her passion for acting after retiring and suffering financial losses from a scam. She turned to acting in her later years, becoming a celebrated TV personality in Kenya. Her story is a testament to how new paths can emerge, even after what seem like significant losses, by embracing change and exploring hidden talents. These examples remind us that setbacks can serve as opportunities to rediscover and channel our strengths in new directions.
- Aligning Goals with Strengths: Goal-setting is essential for both personal and professional growth, but many people struggle with aligning their goals with their strengths. Misaligned goals can create challenges, leading to frustration and discouragement, ultimately hindering the achievement of desired outcomes. For example, a person with strong interpersonal skills but limited technical expertise may struggle if they set a goal to become a software developer without considering the training required. However, if they focus on a goal that aligns with their strength in communication—like transitioning to a role in customer relations or training—they may find greater satisfaction and success. Aligning goals with strengths helps individuals leverage their natural abilities and minimize frustration.?
- The Power of SMART Goals: SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, differ from general goals by providing a clearer path to success. Turning broad ambitions into specific, SMART goals can make them more attainable, and avoiding common mistakes—such as setting overly vague or unrealistic targets—is key to successful goal-setting. For example, instead of setting a general goal like "I want to get fit," a SMART goal would be "I will run three times a week for 30 minutes each, aiming to run a 5K in three months." This goal is clear, measurable, and time-bound, which helps in tracking progress. Such precision helps in breaking down larger ambitions into actionable steps, making the path to achievement clearer.?
- Staying Disciplined on the Path to Achievement: The journey from setting goals to achieving them requires discipline, particularly when motivation diminishes. Common challenges include procrastination, lack of accountability, and setbacks. Strategies for overcoming these obstacles include setting incremental milestones, seeking support, and regularly revisiting the reasons behind the goals to maintain motivation. For instance, someone pursuing a certification might break their study schedule into daily tasks and celebrate small wins like completing a chapter. Seeking support from a study group can also provide motivation during tough times. Revisiting the long-term benefits of achieving the certification, like career advancement, can reignite their commitment when challenges arise.?
- The Role of Mindset in Achieving Goals: Mindset plays a pivotal role in achieving goals, with a growth mindset allowing individuals to embrace challenges and learn from failures. Cultivating a growth mindset involves shifting from a fixed view of abilities to a belief in the capacity for development through effort and perseverance. For example, a person with a growth mindset might see a failed business venture not as a permanent setback but as a learning opportunity that informs their next startup. Adopting this perspective encourages resilience and persistence, turning obstacles into chances for self-improvement.?
- Developing Actionable Plans and Adjusting Goals: Creating effective, actionable plans is a vital step toward achieving goals. Regularly reviewing and adjusting goals helps to stay on track, adapt to changing circumstances, and maintain progress. Developing a clear roadmap, setting deadlines, and prioritizing tasks are key steps in this process. For example, if someone sets a goal to save KES 100,000 in one year, they can break it down into smaller steps, like saving around KES 8,400 each month. They might decide to cut down on takeout meals or cancel a subscription service to achieve this monthly savings target. If they face unexpected expenses one month, they can adjust their plan to save a bit more in the following months. This approach helps them stay focused and make progress, even when life doesn’t go exactly as planned.?
- Immediate Steps to Understanding and Maintaining Potential: Simple steps like self-reflection, identifying core strengths, and setting small, achievable milestones can help individuals better understand their own potential. Maintaining focus and momentum requires consistent effort, and using resources such as goal-tracking tools, coaching, and personal development books can support long-term growth. For instance, using apps like todoist, strides etc for tracking progress or reading books like Atomic Habits by James Clear can provide structured ways to cultivate new habits. Additionally, regular self-reflection through journaling can help individuals stay aligned with their goals and recognize areas of growth and improvement.
?We also tried to explore the different myths about personal potential and goal-setting, including:?
- Personal potential is fixed and unchangeable: Many people believe that one's potential is a static quality, determined by inherent abilities. However, personal potential can evolve over time, especially when individuals put in effort, seek new learning experiences, and embrace challenges.?
- Only those who are naturally talented can reach their full potential: This myth suggests that personal potential is exclusive to those with innate abilities. In reality, determination, practice, and the willingness to develop skills can help anyone reach their full potential, regardless of their starting point.?
- Setting goals is a one-time activity: Many assume that setting a goal means just writing it down once. However, effective goal-setting is a continuous process that involves regularly revisiting, refining, and adapting goals as circumstances change.?
- Goals must always be ambitious to be valuable: While big goals can be motivating, this myth overlooks the value of setting smaller, more achievable goals that build momentum. Achieving these incremental steps can be just as crucial for long-term progress.?
- Achieving goals is a straight path: The belief that one should progress linearly towards goals can lead to frustration when encountering setbacks. In reality, the journey towards achieving goals often involves detours and adjustments.?
- Purpose Can Be Found Outside of Yourself: Some believe that purpose must be found through external sources, like a mentor, a job, or a significant event. The true purpose often comes from within, through introspection and understanding what aligns with your deepest values and passions. It’s a deeply personal journey that can be guided by, but not entirely dependent on, external factors.?
7.???? You Need to Have All the Answers to Live a Purposeful Life: Some believe that to live with purpose, you need to have everything figured out and know exactly where you're heading. The journey toward purpose often involves uncertainty and exploration. It’s okay not to have all the answers. Purposeful living is more about aligning your actions with your values and being open to learning and growth along the way.?
8.???? Purpose Equals Professional Success: A common myth is that purpose is tied directly to your job or career success. While some people find purpose in their work, others find it in hobbies, relationships, community involvement, or personal growth. A fulfilling life doesn’t always equate to professional achievements; it’s about finding balance between different aspects of life that bring joy and meaning.
The discussion was highly engaging, providing valuable insights and practical advice for anyone on their journey of self-discovery and goal-setting. We hope these insights inspire further reflection and action in your own personal development journey.
Stay tuned for our next session
Safe Haven Support Sphere
