You open something you started a long time ago. Some notes, plans, or maybe just a half-finished idea. And then you feel a quiet drop in your chest.
Non-potential living also does not feel strong or clear. It feels like this – not too many closed tabs on the back of your mind. And the fear of not living potentially seems to just close the tab, thinking, “I’ll be back to it soon.”
However, “soon” is still being pushed out. Something small changed your mood and suddenly? You are waiting again for the right time, the right “you” mindset that will do it.
So now you are in this area where you do not completely fail or move forward completely.
Because as long as it is still “potential” it feels safe. It has not been tested, so it does not fail. But soon the gap between who you are and who you know you may begin to feel heavier than ever. And it feels like a quiet acupuncture hurts you with everything you did not finish.
If this is the case then maybe this is the way to go.
7 Signs Of Self-Disability: You Are Not Potential
1. You love “recipes”, not the current reality.
You feel very appreciative of the person you could be if you made some changes instead of the person you are today.
Therefore, you are more in love with the formula or the idea of who you could become in the next ten years than the “you” who live in your present reality.
You see yourself as capable today, but believe that your potential is not yet fully demonstrated. Then it becomes part of your identity and taking action puts you face to face with that image.
Read more here: 8 Principles of Life to help you design your life path.
2. You experience the “expected joy” of achievement
Your brain feels like dopamine, rushing from planning to research, and even dreaming of a goal that feels as good as achieving it.
As a result, you spend hours on planning but do not take practical steps and thus end up not living up to your potential.
You procrastinate until you feel confident and convinced that you need clarity before starting. Gradually, this “not yet” attitude evolved into a pattern.
3. You set “intensity” priority on consistency
The “high” of new beginnings attracts you, but the reality of everyday tasks makes you bored soon.
You start living in this cycle of high energy bursts, where you start to get excited about new things that you started working on first.
But that stress will soon be gone, and you are also interested in continuing this project.
You start out strong but lose momentum as your stability declines rapidly, even if your initial motivation is high. You stop even before the results start showing.
4. You are more afraid of losing your imagination than you are of reality
Your brain makes it seem safer to keep an idea in your head than to see it implemented.
When it’s in your head or in your imagination, you have control over it, its results, and it still seems to succeed. You do not have to face the fear of living without potential.
But taking action can show you the real-world results you have to deal with rejection, criticism, and failure.
You even lose the imagination you created about the idea.
Read more here: Maladaptive Daydreaming: 5 warning signs that your inner world is bothering you.
5. You have violated the “48-hour law”
You seem to have a continuous pattern of starting a new project or hobby to keep you excited for just a few days.
However, at a later stage, you may not seem to be able to follow through, even for the first 48 hours.
This gives them another potential of many potentials that never seem to grow into reality.
6. You love potential more than action
You always imagine the great life that your potential can lead you to. Planning about it just feels productive because it actually replaces your actions.
Your thought process gives you a sense of progress but no real movement.
Even during the day, you jump straight for the prize, whether it be respect for money or freedom, regardless of the effort it takes to get there in the first place. You will have to focus on who you are, not who you are.
7. You want to avoid facing failure rather than staying the same
You tend to avoid situations where you may fall because not trying to feel safer than trying and failing.
Your high potential remains “untouched” and you do not have to give in to your own standards or a good version for yourself. You tend to Delay.
But this model is not about incompetence. It talks about creating an avoidance mechanism.
How to deal with the fear of not living up to the potential?
- Shift your focus from what could be what you are consistently doing now to measuring yourself on your current model rather than imagining the future.
- Practice writing a diary to write specifically about what has already happened, whether it was an activity conversation or a date, reflecting your current level of activity rather than potential.
- Start practicing “radical acceptance” where you accept that your current reality is uncomfortable and stop wasting energy fighting it.
- Identify when fear, impersonation, planning, waiting, or overthinking by stopping using potential as comfort and use your actions as evidence
- You are likely to fall into the trap of the future, but when you do, do not be afraid. Just forgive lightly for your recurrence and bring your focus back to the present.
- Every time you dream of yourself, take a small action that leads you to a goal in today’s real world, whether it be a small task or a phone call.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do I not live up to my potential even when I know my potential?
It acts as a primary coping mechanism to avoid anxiety, fear of failure or task-related boredom. When you are aware of your high potential, the pressure to meet high standards makes the fear of not meeting them even greater. You tend to give up procrastination as an avoidance strategy.
2. How do I stop living in my head and start acting?
Stop living in your head by acting “messy” right away rather than waiting for certainty. Use the 5 minute rule to complete a task in 5 minutes and start by starting this way. Keep a responsible partner who can ensure that you are really moving forward.
