"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."- Maya Angelou.
Who is afraid to push beyond their limits? Who feels it's not practical to dream bigger than you can achieve? The answer is people who are not driven enough! With many startups around us, we constantly doubt our intentions of taking a leap ahead of them. We are motivated enough to initiate an idea, maybe pursue it until a point, but we limit ourselves beyond that. Why is that? What is this fear of setting ambitious goals that we see in most entrepreneurs?
Describing the fear as incompetency or lack of self-belief is just a notion; we need to address how to minimize it. Entrepreneurs need to realize that once you challenge yourself to achieve something more extensive, your energies push you to get it. It is precisely the opposite when you limit yourselves to your comfort cocoons. Many successful enterprises have thrived and are leading to excellence today because their leaders dreamed of the impossible. Look at the examples of Apple Co. If Steve Jobs had not focused on the many possibilities that a cell phone could bring, Apple would have never achieved the success it has today. So, setting ambitious goals is the most challenging yet crucial step that an entrepreneur must take.
Why is it Important for Entrepreneurs to Push Their Limits?
-
To Accept Failure Gracefully
In any business, there are innumerable times a plan or product fails. The most significant thing to do then without sulking is to retry. You may fail again, but you might succeed too. So, instead of investing in the thoughts of what could go wrong, practice manifesting the positive reviews.
-
To Explore Better Opportunities
He who seeks, finds, and who knocks will be let in. If you stay confined to your comfort zone, you will perform like you always did and never venture into exciting opportunities. The adrenaline rush happens only when you go beyond your limits, overcome lack of confidence to achieve something more significant than before.
By setting ambitious goals, entrepreneurs have found conquering different fears that they would have never pushed through if they succumbed to those in the first place. Pushing their limits has given many an edge over their knowledge and has made them proficient in technical, technological, and people skills. It has also helped them overcome their weaknesses.
-
To Beat Bottled Perception
Often, entrepreneurs believe what they know is right, they fail to go beyond their perception, and that's where their enterprises suffer. Dreaming bigger makes you experiment, make mistakes, and open your mind to understand the right way.
-
To Influence Our Future Actions
Once you go past your limits, you get a peek into what works and what does not. Your choices influence your future actions, and help you achieve career goals efficiently. With that your ambitions set in and you let no one stop you from getting the success you deserve.
-
To Move Past Your Weakness
Entrepreneurs often stay so engulfed in their ventures that it is rare for them to reflect upon their weaknesses. However, when they allow themselves to push beyond their limits by setting ambitious goals, they master their shortcomings.
-
To Inspire People Who Work for You
Your employees, clients, and customers are the ones who get inspired by your actions every now and then. When you push beyond your limits and look ahead, people within get inspired too. Hence, when you free your wings to do the impossible, you help people perform better in teams and individually.
Steps to Initiate Change
Now that you have accepted that there is a need to go beyond your comfort zone, let's begin by taking tiny steps. Here's what you can do.
Challenge yourself with the smallest of tasks and keep adding to the list once you succeed in them. For example: If you own a brick and mortar store, what can you do to amplify the user experience? Start with short-term goals like delivering products to the doorsteps of your customers. From there, you can move to creating a digital platform and expanding your service channels.
It isn't easy to go beyond your limits as an entrepreneur when you do not know how. In such instances, seek help from people who have already gone past their limits and innovate better. Having someone to assist you and encourage you will help you rediscover joy at work and enables you to keep pushing ahead even when obstacles slow you down.
There are immense examples around us about entrepreneurs who have gone beyond their usual roles to find something unique and lead. Trace them and document what you think will work for you. For example, look at how Amazon expanded its service channel to become the big name it is today; or understand what Elon Musk did differently to create a buzz every time his name pops up. Such aspirations could push you to do things with a fresher perspective.
Your Limit Is In Your Thoughts
How you think is what you become! Hence to overcome your limiting beliefs, you have to take the right actions and make it your habit. You will be startled to know where you can land once you start setting ambitious goals for yourself and your enterprise. Also, do not forget to speak about your ambitions to other people around you. It will help you track your achievements, push you harder and keep you accountable and driven. But if you want to keep it a secret, that's fine too as long as you are loud and clear to yourself about what you want.
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their aspirations in careers and life. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.