We all want to unlock our potential, thrive, flourish, and make the best out of our careers and lives. 

We all want to feel fulfilled, proud, and with a true sense of accomplishment while bringing our best out. Living our talents and strengths, using our unique and full abilities, aligned with our values and priorities of what matters most to us.

And we all want to make our contribution with our daily work, making our difference and impact, and improving our world and the world around us every day.

That is how I see what reaching full potential actually is.

Do you feel like you are fulfilling your potential? Or do you feel like you are wasting it?

Not sure and with no beginning point on how you can even start unlocking your potential?

Do you ever feel like wasting your time as well? The time is limited for all of us, and for me, it is all about what you do with this time, basically how you use it.

You matter, so do not keep your potential hidden. It is time to live up to your inner drive and full abilities and start doing what you really want with your career and not what others or society think you should.

I believe that there is a mindset process and skills that are ‘what it takes’ to get you started and unlock your potential.

To make it clear, I call it skills intentionally. Because, with the investment of your time and effort, all of these skills can be cultivated and consciously developed all the time. And will lead you to manifest your full potential.

To unlock your potential begin with:

⒈Self-awareness

Knowing yourself and being comfortable with who you are is the foundation, especially from your talents and strengths lenses. As many times our development and growth come from improving our weaknesses. But our strengths are a big part of where our potential is hiding.

You cannot be anything you want to be — but you can be a lot more of who you already are.”

Tom Rath

Grow and raise your self-awareness. Read, reflect, write, take some assessment… anything to get you started. With self-assessments, make sure it is a credible one, such as CliftonStrengths®, which is a great tool for raising your awareness on your innate talent and strengths.

The goal to get out of investing in your self-awareness is to become truly conscious of your thoughts and to gain new self-knowledge about who you are.

As no awareness equals no knowledge, and that equals no choice. And greater self-awareness equals greater choice.

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

Albert Einstein

Which leads me to the next:

⒉Ownership

You are responsible for your own development and growth when it comes to career or any other aspect of your life. Only you can improve your world, and you can and have to become the person who you can rely to.

Claim ownership of your own dreams and goals as the decision for that is powerful. The fear that accompanies it is a sign that what you are doing is important. Acknowledge those fears. Be conscious of what might be holding you back as that is the first step to overcome it.

It is you who hold the key.

In career coaching, the best thing we can do is to encourage and equip individuals to rely on and trust in themselves and their tailored career goals. So they can take their committed actions to reach them.

Doing their best at every moment. Also, by introducing:

⒊Presence

Becoming a mindful person, conscious of your own thoughts, and in control of your emotions is a skill we can further learn to master in this process of unlocking our full potential. As the only thing we have any control of is on ourselves.

Elevate your presence, not just by being present in each moment and with each person you are with.

But most of all, by being present and conscious of your thinking process and by being mindful about how you are showing up.

You can do that also by being intentional about your aims and goals for that moment.

Being mindful is not difficult. You just need to remind yourself to focus on the present and do it.

Having your clear intention also leads to easier decisions and the next skillset:

⒋Action taking

Being present and intentional does not remove your drive and motivation to achieve your goals. It actually increases your ability to reach them. The actual personal power lies in the readiness and ability to take action.

As just thinking about your desires and about achieving your goals will not do anything real for you. The only way to accomplish things is to make good use of your time and do the work.

With your clarity on what you need to do to reach your goals and unlock your full potential, you can start taking clear and focused actions. With that, you get to achieve higher productivity and ignite your work-life or transition in your career in ways you have never imagined.

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Zig Ziglar

If you do not act, you do not get. It is that simple. The ownership for taking action is ours. No one can take that away, and no one can give it to us. We must do the work.

For that, we also need to work on our:

⒌Perseverance

When you are clear on who you are, what you want, and what are your intentional goals, the only option is moving forward.

Even if there are days you want to give up, or you feel like no results are coming from your actions you are yearning for, your clarity and mission are what gives you the staying power.

You ever need to keep on going, as unlocking your full potential is an experience of constant learning. And sometimes, more than the outcome itself is the process that is more important.

Put your maximum effort.

To unlock your full potential focus on your inner self, strengths, and desires. Do everything with clear positive intentions, and the results will come. This does not happen overnight, and it is ever-evolving, but those are the skills needed to move on the road of unlocking your full potential and reaching your career success.

Get clear on what you are chasing for as talking about unlocking your potential in your career and manifesting it, finally, it comes down also to

⋆ who do you want to become as a professional,

⋆ what do you want to be known for in your career, and

⋆ do you want to keep learning, experiencing, and growing, and give it your best all the time?

To start living your career purposefully, with a sense of fulfilment and joy.