Find strength and encouragement in these boosters.

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Your Potential In Christ Jesus (4)

By Ola Olafunmiloye

Text: Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

7 Reasons why people don’t achieve their potential

These keys are by no means exhaustive. I have used these 4 just for the purpose of this piece.

1.   Low Frustration Tolerance – A lot of us give up easily. Once we try something and it fails, we become frustrated and throw in the towel. As a child of God is it impossible for you to fail. Failure in something does not mean that you are a failure. You just found out the wrong way of doing it and you have to go for it again. Many things in life require patience and perseverance. Do not be discouraged, keep hope alive inside you.

2.    Poor Self-evaluation - The quality of your life is influenced by the quality of your thoughts. As a man thinketh, so is he. You are who you think you are.  Another reason why people have low self esteem is because they compare themselves with other people. You are an original and you are unique. You are wired differently than any other person on earth. There is no reason for you to compare yourself with anyone else.

3.   Broken Focus – This is the same as distraction. Many people can set high goals, but just as many people get sidetracked by one thing or another on their way to those goals. High, lofty goals will usually take a while to achieve. There will always be plenty of time to be tempted to stray away from the road that is taking you to those goals. Often, those things that sidetrack people are good things, but not the best things. Top achievers do not get sidetracked. They stay focused. They know where they are going. They have an ability to say "no" to the good things in order to get to the best things. The devil breaks your focus to stop you from achieving your potential or to slow the speed at which you can achieve it. It is through discipline that we can keep our eyes on the goal and avoid distractions.

4.   Refusal to Change – Refusal to change is an acceptance of mediocrity. Tradition offers security. We love to do things the way it has always been done. It has worked in the past so why change it. This kind of thinking kills creativity. The truth is that no matter how good the way it’s been done now is, there is always a better way. Don’t be afraid to try something different. There in lies the power to greatness. A lot of people have risen to greatness by suddenly finding out a better way of doing things.

5.   Guilt & Regrets – A lot of people are held bound by past failures. You can’t change yesterday, but you can determine what the future will be. Don’t let what you’ve been through hold down your future. Don’t let yesterday put you down.  God will not consult yesterday to bless you today. (Isaiah 43:18-19) Yesterday is gone. Don’t live on the past. Alexander Graham Bell once said; "When one door closes another opens. But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us."

6.   Procrastination – They say things like; “I will do it tomorrow”.  “I’m waiting for the right time.” “Everything must be perfect for me to move.” The truth is that everything will not look perfect. You don’t have to be great to start, but you can start now to be great. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” It is fear that makes you put things off. You need to neutralize your fear with faith by concentrating on what could go right instead of what could go wrong.

7.   Complacency – The feeling that “I have arrived” or that “I’m comfortable”. Success can actually prevent you from achieving your full potential. If you make a million bucks, by every standard that is success, but if you have the potential to make 100 million and you stop trying because you have made a million then you are an under achiever.

To be continued....