What is your hidden potential?

I love to listen to audio-books and when I learned that my organizational psychologist /celebrity crush wrote a new book, I couldn't download it fast enough!

I just started listening to Adam Grant's new book, Hidden Potential.

What it's about:

Many writers have chronicled the habits of superstars who accomplish great things. This book reveals how anyone can rise to achieve greater things. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.

Although I've only listened to the first few chapters, I am both challenged and encouraged by Grant's research and true stories. He proves that we don't have to be born with a genetic advantage to grow and improve in a particular skill; we grow when we welcome discomfort instead of trying to avoid it.

Instead of setting systematic goals to achieve something within a certain timeframe, imagine setting a goal to make as many mistakes as possible. Pretty counter cultural, huh?

I was speaking to one of my co-workers today and *Eddie shared that he loved writing and reading poetry, but after a horrific experience at his first public poetry reading, he immediately stopped doing anything that had to do with poetry. I gently asked Eddie what happened at his poetry reading and he said the audience cruelly "booed" him off stage, which shut him down completely.

After Eddie and I chatted a little more, I learned that he started writing poetry in High School because he enjoyed the interplay of the written word and how it evoked certain emotions in him. I have been working with Eddie for nearly 3 months and I had no idea that this unassuming, introverted young man had such depth.

My desire is to encourage him to get back to his passion and not run away from something that touched his soul, due to a temporary set back.

For me, I would like to revisit learning how to play the piano and speak conversational French. I am not clear on the how or when, but I am ready to embrace making as many mistakes as possible until incremental progress is made. To be clear, my goal is not to be Juilliard bound, my desire is to revisit the joy of playing an instrument to activate the artistic/creative areas of my brain that has been lying dormant for way too long. I also want to learn how to do pottery, draw and paint. The options are truly endless.

How about for you? Is there a hobby or passion that you've abandoned because it felt too hard, maybe think it's too late, or felt ashamed like Eddie to try again?

I would love to hear about your ideas, hopes and dreams. Let's create goals to make mistakes rather than be paralyzed with the fear of failure.

Your friend and coach,

Grace

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