8 behaviors that suggest you have huge untapped potential

Do you ever feel like you could be doing more with your life? Like you’ve got more to offer? 

Look, I get it. It’s scary to push ourselves to try something new especially when we feel like we don’t have all the skills or experience we need.

But you just might.

Today we detail 8 behaviors that suggest you have huge untapped potential.

Let’s jump in.

1) You ask a lot of questions

Are you known amongst your friends and family as someone who asks a lot of questions?

Maybe as a kid, you drove your Mom crazy by asking “But why?” to everything she ever told you. Or maybe you are the one who always has just one more question during meetings at work.

As outlined by Entrepreneur; the most successful people in the world ask questions constantly. 

Some of the people most well-known for their achievements credit their curiosity as the reason for their success. 

As Einstein said “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious”

Maybe it’s time for you to start exploring some of your passions with curiosity.

2) You get stuff done

Are you someone who just gets stuff done? No excuses, no time wasting, just focus and results? If so, you are very lucky!

Most of us are guilty of spending way too much time scrolling social media mindlessly and procrastinating on the stuff we want to get done. 

Did you know that the average person is productive for less than 3 hours a day? If this sounds crazy to you, you are probably better at getting stuff done than most. 

It sounds simple but getting stuff done is a combination of being able to be organised, work efficiently and focus on the task at hand. 

And that’s rare. 

Don’t take it for granted because it’s a sure sign you have huge untapped potential.

3) You do hard things even when you don’t feel like it 

Is there any better feeling than finishing a workout that you really didn’t want to do? You feel exhausted but proud of yourself. You took on the mental battle and came out on top. 

As Joe Rogan puts it “Forget motivation, you need discipline.” 

Doing hard things even when you don’t feel like it shows that you’ve got grit, determination and most of all self-discipline. 

This is typical behavior for someone who has unrealized abilities because they can push through even when things get hard and they don’t feel like it anymore. 

Maybe discipline is an obvious one but this next behavior sounds simple, but some people find it really hard to do. 

4) You ask for help when you need it

You’re confident and know your strengths. But you’ve got enough self-awareness to recognize that you don’t have all the answers, sometimes you need help. 

Sound like you? 

One of the most important behaviors of successful people is to ask for help when they need it. 

Even Barack Obama, former US president, sees asking for help as a strength. 

When addressing a group of school children, Obama said “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength”

But in reality, a lot of people find it hard to ask for help. It could be that they are afraid to look stupid. Or maybe they think asking for help will make them look weak. 

Here’s the thing: Asking for help when you need it is a strength and is a common behavior among the most successful people in the world.

If you’re already comfortable doing this, maybe you have the potential to be one of the most successful people in the world too. 

5) You’re always learning

Most people think that learning stops when you finish school. And they groan and roll their eyes when they hear there is a training day at work. But not you. 

You’re always learning and discovering at every opportunity. You look forward to those training days. You love to read books by people who’ve mastered their craft and listen to podcasts about your favorite topics. 

This appetite for learning is a clear indicator that you have more to offer. Maybe they are just hobbies and interests for now.

But think about it: is there something that you’re interested in and keen to learn more about? Is it time to put all that learning to good use? 

6) You can see things from other people’s perspective

Are you the type of person who puts yourself in other people’s shoes? 

Instead of jumping to conclusions and judging people at first glance, you take the time to consider things from their perspective.

For example, you notice one of your co-workers is underperforming. Instead of assuming they are slacking, you talk to them so that you can see the world through their eyes. 

In a world where we are so connected to our technology with our smartphones and headphones, we are completely disconnected from each other, it’s rare to have natural empathy. 

But it is incredibly powerful. 

As Stephen Covey, American businessman and author puts it “When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.”

Being able to see things from other people’s perspectives allows you to create deep connections with people. It suggests you are compassionate and have a flair for leadership. 

Have you ever considered that these are areas where you have potential that you can tap into? 

7) You’re honest even when it’s tough

My co-worker Ann recently came up to me in the office. She needed an honest opinion about an interview she’d done with a client. They wanted to use the video for their website. She wanted to know “Do I come across okay in this video?”

There were plenty of smart and experienced people around so I asked her why she wanted my opinion specifically. “I just need someone to tell me the truth, and I know you’ll tell me if it’s awful”.

Here’s the deal: Being honest, especially with people we care about, is tough. We don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. We might be worried about making things awkward, but whatever the reason, most of us avoid being honest.

But don’t just take my word for it.

As outlined by Psychology Today, “People tell white lies when telling the truth would be overly complicated, uncomfortable, or tedious.” Can you believe that: 95% of people cannot go a full week without telling at least one lie? 

If you’re part of the 5% who are willing to be honest, even when it’s tough you probably have untapped potential waiting to be discovered.

“Honesty and integrity are by far the most important assets of an entrepreneur.”

— Zig Ziglar

Turns out, that people value honesty. It plays a big role in building trust and it might be one of the behaviors that sets you apart from the rest.

8) You don’t take things personally (or care what others think)

Did you know that long before J.K. Rowling became a famous author, she suffered a lot of rejection from publishers? One of them even said, “Don’t quit your day job”.

Just imagine if she’d taken rejection personally and had given up trying to get Harry Potter published. 

What a huge waste of unrealised potential. And the same could be said about you. 

As someone who has mastered not taking things personally or caring too much about what other people think, there’s a good chance you have other abilities that you haven’t discovered yet. 

Final thoughts

The truth is we all have aspects of ourselves that we haven’t fully explored yet. And when we do, we may well find potential we never knew we had. 

The behaviors we’ve discussed today are typical of people who have explored their abilities and enjoyed great success as a result. 

Do any of them resonate with you? If so, maybe it’s time to start exploring that potential. Who knows what you might find?