I recently saw a quote, it writes:
“Potential is only the expression of a possibility, something that can be assessed accurately only in retrospect. In other words, you’ll only know how good you might’ve become, unless you try.” – Mike Mentzer
Within the past year, I’ve experienced an overwhelming fear of not reaching my full potential. Whether this may be academically, socially, or financially, I fear that I could be doing so much more, and could be improving myself in so many ways.
This quote really helped bring clarity to my situation. I felt that I needed to be doing anything and everything that I could in order to maximise my growth and opportunities in life, in order to “get the most out of myself”, but come to think of it, I was draining myself for the sake of a possibility. Don’t get me wrong, yes it is important to work toward your goals to the best of your ability, engage in daily habits and set manageable tasks to accomplish, but do not feel the need to do it all at once. When I put so much pressure on a specific goal, I’m even harder on myself when I don’t receive the outcome I anticipated, which encourages me to try even harder, pushing myself further, and overworking myself to breaking point.
Alternatively, figure out your main goals, whether it’s over a monthly, biannually, or yearly timeline, and then begin to fill in your subtasks on what you need to check off in order to get there. These little marker points should be seen as signs of growth and consistency, which is rewarding enough as is, but viewing these as achievements in itself is what will make you fall in love with the process, which is often more fulfilling than the goal. Stop putting such high stakes on yourself, and beating yourself up when you can’t keep up with your unrealistic expectation. Focus on how to make your little steps toward your goals enjoyable and rewarding, to invite consistency and maintenance.
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