Tapped Potential
Collin O’Brady was the first human to solo, self-supported trek across Antarctica. Dragging a sled of his own supplies all by himself, he suffered for 53 days, covering 921 miles. I heard O’Brady talking about the days of our lives, and he made the claim that if we scored each day a 1-10 based on its impact or importance, most people would live in the 3 to 4 range. He explained that it’s not uncomfortable enough to change or inspiring enough to make a real impact. This speech made a significant impact on how I look at life and my desire to live my life mission and vision as much as healthily possible.
Not his view … but wow that had to be tough.
Jon Acuff wrote an amazing book called All It Takes is a Goal. In his book, he and Dr. Mike Peasley conducted research and found out after studying 3000 people that only 4% felt like they were living up to their full potential. A full 50% felt like they were peaking at around half of their available potential. These numbers actually shocked me, but in all truth, I don’t know that I’ve ever felt like I’ve been living with all of my potential. There have been times when I spent more time in a flow state and seemed to be using much more of my thinking, energy, and action optimally. As I look back, I see that they have been in transitional periods, like opening my first business, passing break-in or field training as a police officer, or participating in large, complex, multi-agency scenario training. It seems like I thrive under stress and struggle more in times of peace, which feels odd to see and acknowledge as I type.
Acuff states, “Potential is the gap between your vision and your reality—when how you thought your life would be doesn’t match how life is yet.” Looking at this and O’Brady’s numerical system, it’s clear that intentionality and focus are vital for both impact and potential. Acuff’s strategy is a backward look at your best moments and a gamification approach to filling your time with what’s most important. It’s brilliant, and my wife and I are digging into the process. I don’t want to say too much about it yet because I want to see how it works in our lives, and I think you should read the book.
Leaders, how would you score your last month of days 1-10, and how much potential are you and your team tapping into?