Playing Small

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🎯 Playing smaller than your potential becomes an easy place and much like the frog in boiling water analogy that we know so well, the heat of our comfort zone gets turned up so slowly that it becomes normal - until we’re stewed and in a stupor.

Over time,  the comfort zone that once felt like protection becomes a prison.

Awareness is where change begins.

But how do you know you’re playing below your potential?

Some people have the gift of delightful delusion — believing they’re smarter, sharper and more capable than they are.  Ironically, it’s often these same people who move fastest through life:

Unfettered by doubts about whether they’re good and ready enough.

But sooner or later, the cracks appear.

Reality strikes and they’re faced with limitations they’ve never acknowledged.

I often meet Entrepreneurs who have succeeded through sheer grit, hard work and determination, but they’ve not upgraded their thinking and awareness. As the business gets bigger, it outruns them.  You cannot have more - without becoming more - the equation is simple.

The problem isn’t the limitations—we all have those—but that they aren’t aligned with their strengths. Usually, they lack knowledge of where to look or how to navigate.

After all, none of us can see our blind spots.

(Which is where I come in - with a super-powered spot light! )

If the unconscious mind lacks confidence, we can engage in Self-sabotage to maintain the next level required. Self-sabotage is often so embedded and tricky that it goes unnoticed. When clients arrive, the patterns of frustration, win, loss and disappointment have been normalised to grudging acceptance, sometimes even a firmly blaming outside forces.

Blind spots aren’t a flaw, they’re human.

Nobody can see their blind spots.

I’ve compiled a checklist to help you ascertain which side of the fence you are sitting …..

The great news is that once you’re aware, the old millstones are ripe for shifting!

5 Signs You’re Playing Smaller Than You Think

Avoiding Opportunities

• Hesitating to take on challenges, even when they align with your goals.

• Turning down opportunities out of fear of failure or discomfort.

• Staying with the familiar rather than exploring potential.

Fear of Judgment

• Scared of standing out and no longer fitting in with family and friends if you fired on all cylinders.

• Downplaying your achievements in a bid to be perceived as humble.

• Worrying so much about others’ opinions, not realising this concern is a projection of your doubts and judgements.

Setting easy objectives

• Working to targets that fail to stretch you and/or your staff.

• Avoiding long-term, audacious plans - there’s always next year! 

• Feeling an inner resistance when you voice your ambition

External Validation

• Needing approval or encouragement from others 

• Measuring success by applause rather than self-belief

• Disconnected from your inner compass.

Stifled Growth

• Filling your days with tasks that feel productive but don’t move the needle.

• Procrastination for fear of imperfection.

• Allowing self-doubt to keep you stuck