Why Entrepreneurs Aren't Meeting Their Full Potential

Don’t Let These Seven Things Stop You from Achieving Your Full Potential

By Akshay Nanavati

You’ve finally decided to take the plunge into the wonderful world of entrepreneurship. Congratulations! Of course, I know you want to do your absolute best. As you embrace your new resolve to succeed, keep in mind that there will always be challenges along the way. Shared herein are seven things that can keep you from reaching your full potential; that’s if you allow them to. But first, you must be aware of them. And here they are:

(1) Unwillingness to Learn – Valuable life lessons often come wrapped in a variety of packages. Everyone may not look the same as you or have the same thought processes as you, yet their experiences could add value to where you aspire to go. It will be important to keep an open mind so that you can recognize the wisdom of good counsel when you see and hear it.

(2) Not Standing Up For Yourself – If you don’t stand up for yourself, why should anyone else? Take a moment to self-reflect and identify everything that makes you special. In so doing, you’ll discover that there is no need to be ashamed of your ambition or potential. Actually, it will inspire others to recognize and celebrate you as well.

(3) Pleasing Everyone at Once – Seeking to please everyone all at the same time can be more frustrating than you probably will desire. The energy exerted in trying could be redirected to where your focus should be in the first place: reaching your goals. Make a determination to, first and foremost, be true to yourself. Then your desire should be to please the ones who really matter.

(4) Ignoring Your Gut – Most times, your gut instincts won’t lead you wrong. One of the greatest disappointments in life is realizing you should have followed your “first mind” after seeing the subsequent detriment of not doing so. There’s nothing wrong with heeding that inner voice. Plus, it helps fortify your efforts to take authority and do things in a manner that you believe is best.

(5) Low Standards – “There’s nothing too good for me” is a wonderful outlook to have. You should never feel like you have to settle for less than the best. And if you’re worried that you may miss the mark, you have already missed the point. Keep in mind that missing the mark is not a problem; aiming too low most certainly is.

(6) Always Looking Ahead – If you fail to plan, you also plan to fail. It’s just that simple. Those who intend to get ahead in life have intentions to do so on purpose. You have to be able to see the big picture and then be willing to have a plan to bring to the vision to life. Of course, life is full of uncertainties. But your task as an entrepreneur – which, by the way, means “risk taker” – will be to create a tangible plan that will help you move forward.

(7) Afraid To Be Yourself – The best person you could ever seek to be is you! Appreciate those unique and admirable qualities that make you the awesome person that you are. Accepting and loving yourself can help you to become your biggest cheerleader.

Now that I have shared these seven factors, internalize them and make them work for you. There is a world of opportunity out there waiting just for you!