8 Reasons You’re Living a Life with Limits
Potential – it’s a word that provides us with hope, optimism, success and so much more! When I think of the word potential, I immediately think of possibility. Every human being on the face of the earth was created for greatness – you have unlimited potential. You have a life filled with possibility. What stops you from taking action on your potential?
How many times have you visited a cemetery? Unfortunately, I’ve been to the cemetery too many times these past few years. The last time was to celebrate the life of my mother-in-law. While standing out in the cold winter, and seeing the hundreds of headstones in the background, I thought about how the cemetery is really the field of dreams – unfulfilled dreams. That’s right – a cemetery is a field of unfulfilled dreams. In fact, 9 out of 10 people never live out their dreams. Nearly 53% of young adults give up on their dreams. When you give up on your dreams, you give up on your potential. Your dreams don’t die unless you do.
To live your dreams, you need to grow. To live out a life of possibility, you need to grow. To live a life without limits, you need to grow. In order to grow, you need to live intentionally. Growth isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” mentality. Your growth is as unique as you are and you need a growth plan that fits you, not anyone else. The best resource to help you take action on your personal growth is John C. Maxwell’s book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth – Live Them and Reach Your Potential. The book will help you discover how you need to grow to live your life without limits. The book will help you get growing but you ultimately have to do the work. Investing in your personal growth is the hard work of heart work.
There are 8 specific growth goal traps that stop us from taking action on our potential.
Growth Gap Traps
In his book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth – Live Them and Reach Your Potential, John C. Maxwell identifies 8 Growth Gap Traps that tend to hold us back in our personal growth. Which trap affects you?
- The Assumption Gap – “I assume that I will automatically grow.”
When we are young, we grow automatically. Once we get into adulthood we fall into the trap of assuming we will automatically grow. You don’t improve by accident. You don’t grow automatically, unless you’re talking about the aging process.
- The Knowledge Gap – “I Don’t Know How to Grow.”
Most people grow at the school of “hard knocks.” We grow when we’re forced to grow because of a bad experience or crisis in our life. It’s so much better if we are intentional about our growth – we act on our growth instead of reacting to it. When you intentionally grow, you have choices – you choose how you learn, what you learn, and how fast you’ll grow.
- The Timing Gap – “It’s Not the Right Time.”
Is it ever the “right time” to get growing? We can come up with a million reasons why it’s not the right time to embark on your unlimited potential. Where will you be a month from now, 6 months from now, a year from now if you make the choice to take action on YOU today? Now, where will you be if you choose to put off tomorrow what you can do today? The great thing about taking action is that once you do, you’re going to be asking “What’s next.”
- The Mistake Gap – “I’m Afraid of Making Mistakes”
Here’s the honest truth: growth is hard. Growth requires mistakes. Growth requires discipline. Growth requires a long-term investment. That’s why so many people give up on their dreams! In order to grow, you’ve got to get comfortable with making mistakes. In fact, when your growth focused, you’re thinking, “How can I make a mistake today because I know that will get me one step closer to my dream.”
- The Perfection Gap – “I Don’t Feel Like Doing It.”
The only way to feel like growing is to start growing. Then you’ll feel like growing. Say YES! to YOU by taking action today on a personal growth plan.
- The Inspiration Gap – “I Don’t Feel Like Doing It.”
Personal growth requires intrinsic motivation, which refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. You get motivated to engage in a personal growth program because it is internally rewarding. How do you get intrinsically motivated? By taking action. Once you take action you’re much more likely to feel motivated to take more action.
- The Comparison Gap – “Other Are Better Than I Am.”
Have you ever been to an event where you felt like you were not as “accomplished” or successful as everyone else in the room? Instead of looking at the situation as negative, take advantage of the opportunity to learn from those who have gone before you! Learn how to be comfortable in your own growth journey.
- The Expectation Gap – “I Thought It Would Be Easier Than This.”
John Maxwell says, “Anything worth achieving is always uphill.” Your growth will not come easy or quickly. In our fast-paced, instant gratification culture it is difficult to accept that moving to a new level of potential takes time. If you want to get growing so you can live a life without limits, it’s time to get intentional about your personal growth!
Which growth traps have caused you to live a life with limits? What strategies can you create and/or implement to help you take action on your personal growth plan? Write it down and take action today!
As always, if you want to get growing and don’t know how to get started, I can help. Send me an email at emily@25-8leadership.com.
Cheers to living a life without limits,
Emily Lindus