Nine Steps to Help You Develop Your Potential

Home
>
Business Management
>
Nine Steps to Help You Develop Your Potential

Nine Steps to Help You Develop Your Potential

Go into any bookstore and you will find a big selection of self-help and personal improvement products. Most everyone (and I'll bet everyone reading this) wants to improve. We know we need to get better, and we want to get better. We may want to improve our personal relationships, our business capabilities, our ability to be disciplined, our desire to juggle four chain saws, or any of hundreds of other things. In that book store you can find books to help you do any of those things!

In many cases though, those books start half way through the process. After writing the last chapter about identifying our potential I realized that identification of our potential, while critical, isn't the complete answer. It is only the first step.

If we want to reach our potential, we must start by identifying our greatest areas of potential. With that knowledge, we must take a step-by-step approach to making that potential reality in our lives.

It is no different than a business identifying its core strengths in order to best capitalize on the opportunities they see. When we start our personal improvement program with identified strengths or potential, we ignite our personal rocket ? and begin our trip to greater heights and achievements.

Here then is a step-by-step process that you can use to convert your potential into results!

1. Identify it. I've already helped you do that. Whether you have followed those steps in the last chapter or are just aware of a skill you want to develop, this is a necessary first step.

2. Claim it. You must believe in your heart that you have untapped skill and ability in this area. Once you have claimed it, you must proclaim it by telling yourself (preferably out loud) that you ARE assertive, you ARE a swimmer, you ARE supportive of others. (Fill in your own skills and potentials!)

3. Scope it. Next you need to think about what part(s) of you life you want to apply this new skill or ability in. Take time to determine the areas of your life where you will use this enhanced skill.

4. Target it. Why do you want to develop this potential? How will you and/or those around you benefit from the development of this potential? What is your goal? Answering these questions will help you stay the course when you get discouraged. Write these reasons and your ultimate goal down and read them often.

5. Plan it. A plan will help us achieve most anything more rapidly. Wouldn't you like to reach your potential sooner than later? Then make a plan! Determine what you need to know and how you will learn it. Schedule time on your calendar. Think about the situations you want to practice in. Write your plan down and remember to include timelines. This is a real plan. While it may not be as elaborate as a business plan, it is every bit as important. This is your plan!

6. Start it. Get started already. You might actually start as early as step 2, but I include it here because the scoping, targeting and planning is important too. Whatever you are trying to develop will require time and effort. The toughest step though is often the first one, so get started!

7. Support it. You may need to find support from many people and in many places. One way is to have a mentor. If you know someone who excels at what you are trying to develop, ask them to mentor you. You can also get mentoring from people indirectly, by reading about their approaches, thought processes and ideas. (This is one great reason to read biographies and autobiographies.) Get support around you too. Find people close to you who will support your efforts and encourage, not discourage you. Identifying your support system early on helps you get started. Having the support will help you get past the toughest times during your process.

8. Practice it. You won't reach your potential in one try or in a week. I recently read a page on the web that was promoting a workshop called Building a Million Dollar Practice. The tagline is what was memorable. It read "Hint ? it isn't about the Million Dollars." That tagline tells the story ? it is about the practice! Practice builds our skills. Practice broadens our experience. Practice creates new habits. Practice makes permanent. Perhaps that greatest key of all to developing our potential, is disciplining ourselves to practice.

9. Be grateful for it. When you receive a gift from someone you likely send a thank you note. Being grateful for the gifts of our potential is just as important. By being grateful we begin to unlock even greater opportunities to use the potential we have nursed into skill, experience, and habit. It isn't too late to start. Reaching our potential has nothing to do with our age, situation or past. Using this process will help you to unleash the potential you identify to help you reach your professional and personal goals and objectives.

© 2004, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.a sp to read the current issue and subscribe. Kevin is also President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You may contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Israeli government says Gaza offensive to continue (AP)

AP - Israel's government says it will press ahead with its military offensive in the Gaza Strip despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire.

Illinois House on verge of impeaching Blagojevich (AP)

AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich faces almost certain impeachment by the Illinois House, a historic step that would trigger a trial to determine whether the Democratic governor should be tossed out of office.

Rifts show as Obama urges quick action on stimulus (AP)

AP - Lawmakers are under orders to finish action on President-elect Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan by mid-February. But already it is plain that a set of serious fissures need to be bridged if the bill is to be completed within five weeks.

Democrats begin new session with labor bills (AP)

AP - Democrats are ushering in what they believe will be a new labor-friendly era in Washington with House votes on two bills aimed at helping women fight pay discrimination in the workplace.

Job losses stack up as recession deepens (AP)

AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.

Toxic coal ash piling up in ponds in 32 states (AP)

AP - Millions of tons of toxic coal ash is piling up in power plant ponds in 32 states, a practice the federal government has long recognized as a risk to human health and the environment but has left unregulated.

Obama to finalize national security team Friday (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is completing his national security team by announcing his unusual choices for CIA director and a national intelligence director who may face tough Senate confirmation questioning over how he confronted the Indonesian military when civilian massacres were occurring in East Timor.

Emphasis on smooth transition to new Cabinet (AP)

AP - Just minutes after George W. Bush took the oath of office eight years ago, he signed papers formally nominating 13 Cabinet-level officials. Several hours later, the Senate, meeting in a special Saturday session, confirmed seven Cabinet secretaries, including the heads of the key posts at State, Treasury and Defense.

Mini Dynasty: Gators beat Sooners for BCS title (AP)

AP - Tim Tebow enjoyed the battering-ram runs. He liked the old-school jump pass. Drawing a rare penalty, that really made Tebow's day. With No. 1 Florida about to finish off No. 2 Oklahoma 24-14 for the BCS championship Thursday night, Tebow was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Critics' final answer: `Slumdog' wins 5 awards (AP)

AP - The critics have spoken, and "Slumdog Millionaire" is their final answer.

World waits on jobs data as recession weighs (Reuters)

Reuters - Steep falls in European industrial output underlined the severity of the world economic crisis on Friday and more grim news was on the way with the United States expected to report the biggest monthly job cuts in more than 30 years.

U.N. calls for immediate Gaza truce (Reuters)

Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, defying a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Panel steps up criticism of Treasury: report (Reuters)

Reuters - A report being released on Friday alleges that the U.S. Treasury has failed to reveal its strategy for stabilizing the financial system, not answered questions asked by a government watchdog, and has done nothing to help struggling homeowners, the Wall Street Journal said.

EU seeks gas supply return after deal on monitors (Reuters)

Reuters - Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly said a deal to monitor gas exports via Ukraine would be signed on Friday, allowing for the resumption of supplies to Europe cut off by Moscow's price row with Kiev.

Citi backs measure to help avoid foreclosures (Reuters)

Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.

Illinois panel recommends governor's impeachment (Reuters)

Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama team amending financial rescue package: report (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is urgently overhauling the $700 billion financial rescue package to broaden its scope beyond Wall Street, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Health care overhaul needn't break bank: study (Reuters)

Reuters - An analysis of proposals to overhaul U.S. health care by President-elect Barack Obama and members of Congress suggests it is possible to insure all Americans without significantly raising total health spending.

Israel and Hamas battle on after UN ceasefire demand (AFP)

AFP - Israel and Hamas launched heavy air strikes and rocket attacks on each other Friday, ignoring a UN Security Council order on the warring rivals to end their conflict.

EU demands immediate resumption of gas supplies (AFP)

AFP - The European Union demanded Friday that Russian gas supplies to Europe resume immediately now that details of a mission to monitor the flow through Ukrainian pipelines have been agreed.

Nine Steps to Help You Develop Your Potential

Business Management Business Management