Are we living up to our potential?
March 14, 2018
By Brian Maynor
Having potential is often seen as a good thing, but it is both a blessing and a curse.
The blessing of potential is the capacity of future success; the curse is that it isn’t guaranteed. No matter how much potential we have it is useless until it becomes realized.
When we realize our potential is when things start to happen, making it important to know how to actualize our potential.
Here are a few ways we can ensure our potential isn’t wasted:
1. Take action. This is the only way potential is transformed into reality, but that often means breaking out of self-made cages like fear and comfort zones.
2. Embrace anxiety. Growth only comes from discomfort and stretching beyond what makes us feel safe, but does that mean we have to live in a constant state of anxiety?
The short answer is ‘yes’, but it’s not what you’re thinking.
In order to reach our potential we have to find a state of optimal anxiety, which we’ve known for over a century. In 1908 two Harvard psychologists, Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson, found that people in their comfort zone could maintain a steady level of productivity, while those under high levels of stress lost productivity. In order to increase our productivity and reach our potential we need to operate at a slightly elevated stress level.
This is what pushes us to greater accomplishments without sacrificing our sanity.
3. The 50% Rule. To find that sweet spot of optimal anxiety we need to choose things that are 50% familiar. If it’s too familiar there is no challenge and if it’s too foreign it won’t hold our attention, so we need to find that space where things are both familiar and foreign. Teachers walk this line all the time, when they create lessons that are both understandable and new at the same time.
4. Take it slow. Learning can be overwhelming because when we start to learn there tends to be more unknown than known. To sustain the optimal level of anxiety we shouldn’t completely abandon our comfort zone, but rather step outside it with something new and then return. One of the best ways to practice this is by trying one new or scary thing every day. Think of them as baby steps towards the ultimate goal.
Realizing our potential doesn’t have to be some great life shift where we start taking huge risks all the time. It can be as simple as changing our mindset, and opening ourselves up to new ideas. Small steps lead to big changes when we consistently take them.
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I am always curious to hear from you and what you see in the workplace. Send your questions, comments and pet peeves to [email protected]. Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.
About Brian Maynor
Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.
