Have you ever been told of how much great potential you have, but you feel stuck and confused as to how to move from that potential to becoming a top performer?
Working your way up from someone who has potential and is trying hard to harness them to someone who is a high performer and achieves all the things they need in their life may seem almost impossible and herculean but it is achievable by putting in the work.
In this article, I’ll share simple steps to bring you out from potential to top performer.
1. Mindset Shift: You have to build a growth mindset where you know and accept that you can improve habits that will foster your development through specific steps, hard work, and determination. See setbacks as opportunities to reinvent yourself, become better, and attain the great heights that you aspire for. Action Plan: •Accept that you can cultivate good habits.
•Believe in yourself to do what is needed for your growth. •See setbacks as an opportunity instead of a failure.
2. Have Clear Goals: It’s easy to think you’re not performing well when there are no proper metrics in place to gauge how far you have come or what you need to do. Set clear objectives that you want to work on, and put a system in place to analyze results and re-evaluate. Action Plan: •Build SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time/bound) goals. E.g.: I want to become a good writer. •Break the goals into actionable steps, for example: I want to improve my writing skills by writing 300 words every day for 30 days.
3. Be Disciplined: Distraction is your worst enemy when it comes to trying to become a performer. It eats away your time, you look back and see that you haven’t done anything with yourself. Decide to do what you need to do at the times you need to do them even when you don’t feel like it. Action Plan: • Use productivity hacks like Pomodoro to stay on track, and focus on high intensity tasks in the beginning of your day. • Don’t feel too comfortable after finishing each task – delay gratification and focus on the long-term gain.
4. Build Momentum: Try to inculcate daily habits that take you towards your goal in your everyday life. Find a way to do something about your goal every single day! Look out for the habits that will gear you towards your dreams e.g.: I have to read at least an article in my field of study every day. Action plan: •Create a daily routine around the habit you’ve discovered, e.g.: I would read the articles in the mornings during coffee time. •Stick to it, start small, and don’t overwhelm yourself.
5. Network With Like-minds: Surrounding yourself with people who are high performers can take you away from your potential bubble. When you see the feat they are achieving, you can’t help but break out and decide to do better for yourself. Action Plan: Attend industry events to network with like-minds •Find a mentor that will aid your growth.
6. Embrace Feedback: it’s okay to feel stuck sometimes— not know how your trajectory is shaping up or what the future holds . Embracing feedback involves asking questions on things that aren’t clear, receiving responses, and working on them. This makes you become someone who is ready to learn — which is an admirable and necessary trait if you want to excel in your career path. Action Plan: • Ask people who are more knowledgeable in your field how they’ve done it and put in the work!
Conclusion
Moving from just a potential to a top performer is a dream come true for someone who believes they are made to be more. Through grit determination and consistency, it is achievable and you can excel in your chosen field or career path.