Is Expansion part of your plan in 2021?

Every December for the last several years I choose my word for the new year. It is the word that will be the theme for the next 12 months that becomes my mantra. What can one word do to help me reach my goals? A lot! it provides me with direction and it helps me manifest and attract what I want more of in my life. My word for 2021 is EXPANSION. 

Expansion is the action of becoming larger or more extensive. To expand we must grow. Growth is the key because it will always increase our capacity for success. And our capacity for greatness is limitless. I mean, ask yourself, when do we max out on our capacity? Hard to say right? As we take on more and grow and learn we stretch our abilities therefore making it possible to do more and be more.

How do we know when we have reached our full potential? Can we ever reach our full potential?  

The answer thankfully is … no!

We do not have a clue as to our own limits. Nothing can measure our full potential. And we often need something or someone to help push us out of our comfort zone past the limits we have put on ourselves at that moment. Now interestingly enough, we find the motivation and the desire to do this easily and push past our own limitations when we pursue our own dreams.

The potential that lies within us is limitless and untapped. Living a truly fulfilling life is living to push toward your potential. To continue to increase your capacity for knowledge, success, leadership and effectiveness. This requires a change in how we look at things and how we approach life.

Research has proven that people typically use only 10% of their true potential. TEN PERCENT - That is unbelievable and if true then we have soooo much more potential within us and a huge capacity for improvement and growth.

So how do we start to tap into that unused potential? The answer is simple. Change the way we think so we can change the way we do things. And when we change the way we do things we get different results.

Here are a few easy steps to expand your potential: 

1. Work Smarter, rather than harder.

Working more does little to increase your capacity. I think it can actually diminish it along with your effectiveness. When we work smarter, we become much more strategic. It requires clarity on the goals and a decisive approach to how we use our time and focus on the most important tasks. We have to figure out what works and what doesn’t. We must ask ourselves powerful questions about where to put our time and focus so we can get the greatest return on our effort.

2. Stop thinking “Can I do it?”

We want our thinking to empower us not undermine us! Stop asking yourself if it is possible and instead ask yourself HOW to make it so. Anytime you start a question with Can I? it assumes your doubt. You are seeking permission or approval from someone or something to proceed. When you start the question with HOW can I? Your brain is immediately seeking information on what to do in order to get it done. The effort of seeking out the solutions and developing strategic options is automatically increasing your knowledge and expanding your potential! A major element of the “How can I?’ is your belief in yourself. You can not be on quest for answers with a negative or limiting belief around your own capacity. Your belief in you and your perseverance is what will make progress. You can change your thinking and you can change your beliefs.

3. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Consider your options and consider many possibilities not just one. Look for multiple ways to achieve the desired outcome. There are multiple keys to success not just one thing. And we love options! Most people do not want to feel boxed in. High achievers prefer to have options and choices and will always seek them out because it ultimately gives us more control of our outcomes. We should want to explore the options because the road to success is rarely a straight or direct path. Creativity and adaptability increase your odds of success too which will be more apparent when we consider different options. And don’t be afraid of failure or setbacks either because those are great tools for learning and ultimately great tools and measures for future success.

 4. Increase your capacity for action.

We have established that if we want to increase our capacity and expand our potential then we must change our thinking. However, it cannot stop there. Changing our thinking and not our actions will not move us forward. A change in our actions is what is needed. When we do what we have always done we get what we have always gotten. So, let’s focus on what we can do differently. Doing new things that align with our strengths can increase our capacity and our effectiveness and can also lead to innovation and creativity.

Expansion will always bring us out of our comfort zone and that is where our greatest opportunities lie. If you are excited to really grow and expand in 2021 here are some action steps you can take right now to apply these thoughts to your life:

1. Journal on the following questions:

a. If I knew I could not fail what would I attempt to do?

b. If I had no limitations what would I like to do?

c. If money was not an issue, what would I be doing with my life?

2. Get clear on your 20% activities. Time block for them and make them a priority.

3. Set aside time every day to reflect on the activities of the day and your progress toward your goals. Ask yourself powerful questions to assess what is working. What is not working? What you do differently?

Some questions to ask yourself during your reflection time might be:

· How effective am I being?

· How much time do I spend on my most important activities?

· Am I getting results?

· Am I working toward my goals?

· Am I working at my highest level?