How to Move Forward When You Feel Limited
I was walking through the grocery store, filling the cart with the usual items when I caught a glimpse of a magazine I'd never seen before. There was a beautiful home featured on the cover, and since I'm a sucker for good interiors, it drew me in like a moth to a flame. I flipped through the pages noticing a few articles that interested me and quickly added it to the cart.
Something that I have found to be incredibly helpful while in the midst of a writing rut is embracing curiosity outside of my field. Whether it's photography, home interiors, architecture, art, food, music, etc., being open to what speaks to you when you step into a different world can provide endless inspiration.
I got home, settled in on the couch, and flipped to an article about art when I read the line that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “The greatest source of inspiration is limitation.”
I paused, and thought, WHAT?!
I'd just told someone earlier that week that I wanted to feel limitless with my life and options. Being a little bit older and a lotta bit wiser, she smiled and gently said, “To be human is to have limits.”
I could feel my inner child's desire to throw an adult-sized tantrum at the thought of having limits.
Have you ever had the desire to be limitless? Like if only you had an unlimited amount of time, energy, money, etc., then you'd be able to achieve the goals you have in your life.
I feel that way sometimes. When I read that line in the article, I realized it wasn't my limits holding me back, it was my mindset regarding them.
It’s easy to view our limits negatively, as things that holds us back from ultimate success. But what if our limitations could actually be the source for inspiration and motivation towards our goals?
Just a couple of weeks ago, one of my clients and I were discussing this very topic. She has two small children and was having a hard time moving forward on her business at the rate she wanted.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what it's like to raise kids and run a business, but it doesn't appear easy in the slightest. However, when we started looking at her mindset around the time she did have, we discovered some unhelpful stories and decided to shift them.
Now, what those mindset shifts DIDN'T do was give her more time. What it DID do was make her more productive with the time she had.
So much so, she sent me this after:
We don’t need to be limitless in order to succeed. We just need a new perspective in how we view our limitations.
What if you were able to look at your current limitations with acceptance, and ask yourself, “Okay, how can I thrive within these limits?”
What if, instead of wishing for different circumstances, you saw your limitations as an invitation to tap into your creativity and overcome an obstacle?
What if, instead of waiting for things to perfectly fall into place, you did what you could with the resources you had?
What if, rather than throwing the whole day out the window because you don't have 4+ hours of uninterrupted time, you were consistent with an hour and a half of focused work each day?
I bet you’d be surprised to find that you can actually find freedom and opportunity within your limitations. I know I was.
When I started (reluctantly) accepting my limits, I quickly noticed I was taking small action steps in areas where I’d been stagnant before. I noticed how, for me, the idea of being “limitless” was a sneaky mix of procrastination and perfectionism.
Instead of telling myself I couldn't finish an entire work project so I might as well start it tomorrow, I'd do what I could that day.
Rather than putting my run off for one more day because I couldn't get in 3 miles, I'd lace up my shoes to at least run one.
Before I knew it, I was completing things and seeing results at a quicker rate than before.
We’re wired for problem solving, and when we get to use our creative skills to find solutions and answers for things it can boost our levels of self-efficacy. That way, when you expand beyond your current limitations, you’ll know how to handle the next set with confidence and resilience.
Your current limitations won't prevent you from accomplishing incredible things if you have the right mindset. I hope you'll choose to thrive right where you are, with what you have, this week!
Interested in working together?
If you're ready to take your life and business to the next level, without stress and burnout, it's time for you to seriously prioritize your mindset. Let's work together on that! Click the link below and apply for a call where you and I can talk through all the details to see if it would be a good fit. I'm so excited to see the growth that's ahead of you!
