Counterpoint: Potential Not A Good Indicator of Your Future Success
Potential is having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something more in the future. To put it another way, potential is the existence of undone work. This is typical for someone just starting out. If you’re a beginner at something, of course you should have potential. However, what if you have experience and have been doing something for a relatively long time. Is having potential still a good thing?
I would argue probably not. If you have been toiling away at something for years and have seen others pass you by, your remaining potential is an indicator of a problem. The problem is either a lack of passion or a lack of resources.
If you have a lack of resources, then the next step is to stop working harder and start working smarter. On the other hand, if lacking passion is what’s keeping you from realizing your potential then it’s time to have a moment of truth with yourself. It’s time for some self-reflection.
- Are you a mission driven person doing money driven work? Or vice versa? If so, it’s time to align your work with your motivations.
- Have you evaluated your strengths and made it a point to use your strengths in your daily work? If not, maybe you should participate in a strengths based coaching program.
- Do you know what legacy you want to leave behind? Have you identified your life’s work and/or purpose? If this is something you still need to do, consider working on creating a purpose statement using this process.