Barriers to Potential - Part One
I’ve always been impressed by people who are able to do more with less. People who maximize their resources of time, talent and energy to have an incredible impact on the people around them and the world in general. On the flip side, I struggle when I see people hoard resources or squander their talents and the precious time they have on this earth. These are two ends of the spectrum and I’ve found that we waver back and forth throughout our lives somewhere in between. Although most of us desire to make a significant contribution, the ability to focus our effort and energy towards the important and meaningful things in our life is a constant challenge that leaders face. Recently, I’ve been feeling like there is something getting in the way of accomplishing my goals and I started to realize why as I listened to the book, “Things That Matter” by Joshua Becker. In this book, Joshua talks about the eight distractions that keep us from living an intentional life.
1.) Fear - Worrying about potential failure or negative outcomes.
2.) Past Mistakes - Feelings of inadequacy.
3.) Happiness - Constant pursuit of joy can cause
us to seek it in the wrong places.
4.) Money - Valuing wealth over contribution.
5.) Possessions - Accumulation of things requires
our time, money and energy.
6.) Applause - Over-emphasis on seeking approval from others.
7.) Leisure - When your life has meaning, you don’t have to escape from it. “Are you working for your vacations or are your vacations
working for you?”
8.) Technology - The tools that supposedly make our life easier, can quickly steal us away from what is truly important.
These distractions can all add to the richness of our lives however in excess, they get in the way of us reaching our potential. They prevent us from pursuing a life of true meaning and fulfillment. As I evaluated my daily activities, I saw a number of these distractions that I have allowed to overstep into my life. It caused me to really think about the impact I want to have on the people around me and more importantly, “why?”. The awareness of the obstacles was overwhelming and it no longer allowed me to make excuses for why I have been avoiding some of the things that truly matter. I’m working on a plan that will help keep me focused. Although many apply for me, my top distraction right now is technology, and I’m starting with better habits around the use of my phone. By deleting apps, not constantly having it in my pocket, and asking my wife to call me out on overuse, I’m hoping to direct that energy toward more meaningful pursuits. So now it’s your turn, which distractions are you most prone to and what can you do to minimize the impact on your life?
Next week I will continue the idea of reaching our full potential and how achieving success can actually prevent us from getting to the next level.