What is potential?

Does it mean anything to you?

Abstract

When asking people about the best version of themselves, the concept of potential was a theme that I pondered. Discussing the unforeseeable future in relation to someone’s ability is usually premised on the point of potential, even if it is not said.

Our potentials are different but all relate to the same idea of boundless possibilities.

Often people talk about potential relating to young people, as if those who are older have already maximised their potential and have plateaued in their search for it. I am of the view that potential is a lifelong journey.

Do you acknowledge the power of potential, or do you see it as a throwaway cliché?

This thought-piece gives insight into what potential is and how you can appreciate its power with regards to your internal drive and ambition.

Discussion

We often hear the word ‘potential’ being thrown around, but do we use it correctly? When talking about a practicable concept, like productivity, the definition is rarely of value compared to our understanding and experience with it. However, as an intangible concept, it is important to know what potential really means and build a relationship with it.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, potential is defined as ‘qualities that allow someone or something to develop or succeed’. To further drill down on the concept of potential, I feel as if ‘qualities’ is also a word which people use, but do not actually know the meaning of; its definition is: ‘part of the character of someone or something’.

Henceforth, with our unique characters comes our qualities, in which we have the power to positively harness and hone these qualities in order to develop and succeed. Development is continuous; hence we all have the potential to succeed in our own right.

Often when talking about potential, we often refer to an immeasurable concept we impose on others. The word ‘potential’ serves as ephemeral motivation in the moment for that person, and reason for this is that it makes us believe that we are destined for greatness, even if we do not know what that looks like.

However, what you would notice is that the word ‘potential’ is often used when witnessing someone’s ability or as a vague base of hopefulness when the future looks bleak. In this case, it is less about defining potential for ourselves, but rather understanding the definition given above. We should innately know that we have the potential to do anything we want to do regardless of what others see in you.

We can receive praise and motivation, but subsequently we may drift subconsciously towards seeking validation and attention for the things we do. It is not all bad however. The idea of ‘proving’ yourself to other people can be an underlying and powerful drive, but despite this, do you feel as if you are obligated to prove yourself?

The point of having the choice to display your potential where you see fit is a lot more powerful. Being dependent on external sources of approval can only get you so far, and potential should be a concept that serves more as a reminder of the great things you can do.

To a degree, in a work setting, the same applies; irrespective of your work environment you must have a willingness to learn and develop. Not only for the sole purpose of promotion, but also with regards to wanting to improve yourself.

But what are your thoughts on the expression ‘hard work always pays off’? On one hand, we can agree that there is correlation with working hard in school for example, that a person will end up getting higher attainment. Outside of school, where the processes and results from hard work becomes more subjective, this is where many fail to slightly tweak their mindset.

When doing interviews for example, no matter how hard you work on learning about the role, company, interview technique, etc., you are judged on how you present yourself on the day. In this case, the brutal reality for most of us is that our ability to realise our potential in a specific area is dependent upon someone's external approval, hence being in control of whether the role leads to a career path we can take.

This is where the expression ‘work smarter not harder’ comes in. Before looking at it in a work setting, it is important to understand what this looks like in education. Exam technique: including your schedule/timetable for revision and the use of evidence-based learning such as spaced repetition, are examples of you working smarter. These are practical adjustments we can apply to our approach to learning.

However, this expression becomes more prominent in work. For some, potential in work could mean getting to the highest paying roles, getting promoted to the highest level, and for others could be as simple as seeing the impact of their work. What I have found is that ‘work smarter not harder’ can be an excuse for skipping necessary stages in order to obtain a fundamental base, which enables a person to get recognition. This way of progression actually inhibits the person’s ability to fulfil their potential as it means they may find themselves in the wrong role/position.

When the expression is used correctly, you can align it with efficiency and maximising the benefits of your hard work, whereby both expressions ‘hard work always pays off’ and ‘work smarter not harder’ should be considered in your approach.

Returning to the ability to realising our potential, and gauging what this looks like, via The Thought Base Instagram I asked the question: ‘Do you know what your best version looks like?’ As a person who thinks they do have an idea of what their current and future best version looks like, I was intrigued to find that most responded ‘no’ or ‘not sure’.

Personally, I think this question is a key element in stepping towards your potential.

This an idea that will be explored further, and now equipped with the definition of potential alongside the misconceptions that can arise in your journey of reaching it, I hope the following discussion of how to reach your potential is impactful and allows for self-reflection.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

In order to have a vague idea of what you want your future self to be, you must first reflect and understand the most your present self can do to achieve the current goals and targets you have. Really and truly, if you take time to do this, mentally, nothing is stopping you from getting to the best version of yourself.

Knowing how to maximise your potential means taking consistent steps to achieving it and adopting habits that you would thank yourself for later.

Potential has no ceiling, but there are stages in your journey of trying to reach it, where you develop and grow exponentially after each one, and receive superlinear returns. These stages look different for everyone; the ownness is on you to recognise what needs to be done consistently to unlock that next level in whatever you choose to do. This is also with regards to other facets of your life outside of your main goal, which can make obtaining what you want easier.

Of course, it is great if you can get into this sort of mindset, but that is the first step. Now looking at your circumstances and analysing to what extent you can improve your present self is next.

Just because you cannot exercise your ambitions one hundred percent in the current moment, this shouldn’t leave you powerless. Do not internally excuse yourself from your ambitions because of the circumstances.

Nothing real is ideal.

It is up to you to seek out opportunities to emerge closer to your current targets.

I say targets here because these are aims that are measurable and short-term, enabling you to work towards your lifelong journey of approaching your potential in a specific area.

Potential cultivates new meanings every time you reach another stage in your journey.

When we say something is “perfect” or “ideal”, it is due to a lack of foresight. We could not possibly envision a better proposition.

A sidenote I would raise is that we can cap our potential and imagination with our choice of words. For example, saying you are in an ‘ideal’ situation, results in us being content with the circumstances we find ourselves in, causing us to relax and possibly risk losing what we have worked hard for. There are new possibilities waiting for you to realise them.

Your biggest achievements will never be ones that you envision; hence the reason why the question I asked earlier is so important - ‘Do you know what your best version looks like?’

Even if you don’t know the answer to the question, here is a point for you to reflect on.

Questions asking about the future, most commonly, career-wise are the ones that get people hesitant. When younger and naïve to the path of how to reach a certain career goal, it was easy to give an answer due to the basic associations we have with subjects and a career, possibly paired with a limited understanding of the career itself.

As we explore our interests, we fall for the misconception that there is there is only one path to a career, and it then becomes a lot more difficult to envision what is ahead of us. Potential is used in a broad sense; however, it will always relate to a specific area. This could be a reason why the word itself has lost its meaning, as sometimes it has been used for an uncertain, ambiguous future.

As a young person, when answering a question about our futures, we instinctually ask ourselves how in-depth we should go, what the motives of the person asking are, and a plethora of other considerations and questions.

We often miss the point.

The way to circumnavigate this question is by understanding the direction you are heading in.

What are you doing today to get to a place you want to be? Even if you feel like you are in the wrong job or wrong university course, where you think the best place is for you is dependent on what you do today. This looks different for everyone. The simple and straightforward way to find the best place for you is to change what you pursue, for example, changing courses or finding a new job.

But many people do not have the privilege of doing this and find themselves in situations otherwise.

Unfortunately, people succumb to this pressure of having to know what they want to do and end up following career paths or opportunities that are not for them. Personally, I think this may be due to the unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves by assuming that we need a pathway mapping out our whole lives.

A lot of us recognise whether we like the trajectory we are on, how it makes us feel, but only some who don’t like their trajectory really do something about it. As mentioned in ‘What happens when we fail to reach previous heights?’, there is no single way to channel a passion.

The inaction is what leads to that inevitable dissatisfaction.

We hear the side and experience of someone who has been asked about their future, as we have our future ahead of us. As we get older, we would instinctually be curious as to what those younger than us aspire to be.

As long as there is direction and acknowledgement of the root of this direction, or if you are at a point where you’re experimenting to see where your pathway lies, that is what matters.

Dependent on the person asking about your future, the pressure you feel may vary.

But I think this quote from Martin Luther King Jr. encapsulates how you should think about your future and the manner in which you respond:

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

The first step is extremely important as it is what guides your direction. People sometimes rush this step due to the fear of being judged for not having a blueprint set out in front of them.

This stops us from reaching our potential.

From my introspection, we naturally gravitate to more information when faced with uncertainty, but there is so far and so much you can learn about your future.

Conclusion

Maximising your potential does not equal having everything thought out and heading in a single direction.

When you have direction and you are doing things in your direction to the best of your ability, that is you maximising your potential.

It is entirely understandable to not maximise your potential in an avenue that you have explored and is not for you; you need to utilise your time, focus, and energy wisely. Unfortunately, many people satisfice and settle as a result of comparing themselves to others, never reaching their full potential.

Alongside this, remember to work hard if you have to work hard, but work smart if you can.

I hope this thought-piece has given a perspective into a concept not talked about in this way, away from its colloquial everyday use.

Not only is maximising potential a lifelong journey, but it is your journey.

P.S.

What are your thoughts, anything that I have not discussed? Can potential be confused with another idea/concept?

You probably don’t want to hear the word potential again 😂