We all want to do great things with our lives. We want to have successful careers, fulfilling relationships, and raise great kids. Technology and the 24-hour news cycle constantly remind us that greatness is possible and that people are changing the world on a daily basis. In many ways, the bombardment of success stories is inspiring, but it can also magnify what we perceive to be the yawning chasm between our lives and the lives of those going to space, making medical discoveries, and writing literary masterpieces. Since there is no consistent common denominator among those whom society considers “great” – their backgrounds, education, and talents all vary – it can seem reasonable to chalk up the difference to a lack of ability or intellect on our part. The reality, however, is that your only limitations are your mindset and the effort you’re willing to put in.
Self-Limitation #1: Scarcity Mindset
One relatively common feature of world-changing trailblazers is an oversized ego. Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Donald Trump…their personalities are as grating as their accomplishments are impressive. But narcissism isn’t what perpetuates success. Rather, it’s their rejection of limitations that allows them to shatter the status quo. Most of us live with a heightened awareness of our weaknesses or limits. We give too much credit to all the things we think we aren’t and all the things we think we cannot do. This creates a mentality of scarcity and fear, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of mediocrity.
The solution, obviously, is gratitude and faith. Gratitude can overcome a scarcity mindset because it takes the focus away from everything we don’t have and instead emphasizes everything we do have. This emphasis on existing assets and capabilities makes it easier to fully exploit our current resources and approach life and work from a place of confidence.
Similarly, faith is the antidote for fear. They cannot coexist, so choosing to believe that the universe is conspiring in your favor can go a long way toward eradicating a false sense of scarcity.
Self-Limitation #2: Perfectionism
Another very common barrier that we impose upon ourselves is perfectionism. Social media has taken regular perfectionist tendencies and magnified them a hundredfold. We are constantly bombarded by the edited, filtered, and curated highlight reels of other people’s lives which leaves our own life seeming hopelessly dull and flawed by comparison. It’s absolutely true that comparison is the thief of joy, but it’s also the thief of great achievement. Comparing our academic degrees, professional resumes, and network of important friends will distract our focus from achieving our own dreams by trying to replicate or outdo other people. Too many talented people spend years trying to win the rat race, only to find they don’t even like cheese.
Self-Limitation #3: The Underdog Fallacy
Have you ever felt like an underdog in your life? Most of us have, and too many people never shake off the underdog paradigm even when it’s no longer true. Considering yourself an underdog is dangerous because it creates a motivation to prove yourself, usually in the wrong ways to the wrong people. This can manifest as workaholism and divert so much energy and attention to being on the top of every list that you never take the time to be innovative or strategic. Worst of all, people can smell an underdog. By nature, underdogs are supplicants hustling for validation and it’s always an invitation for others to treat you poorly.
Accept the fact that you’re not an underdog. No one is betting against you. You are an equal and a leader, not a supplicant. The only person you need to prove anything to is yourself, and validation at work should be part of a larger definition of success in your life that includes how you perform in other areas of importance such as family and faith. It’s great to want to win, but underdogs strive for the top spot to prove to others that they are enough without ever questioning if what’s being measured even matters.
Personal Greatness
I strongly recommend taking some time to think through and write down your own self-limiting tendencies and define what “great” achievement means to you. There’s no right or wrong answer, only the one that’s true for you. There are a lot of truly great achievements that will never make the news, and not making headlines doesn’t make your personal version of greatness any less real or impactful.
Whether you want to make a revolutionary invention, end world hunger, or have a happy and successful marriage (a truly great achievement!), it all starts with pushing past the limits you put on yourself.