Overcoming Your Upper Limits: Unlock Your Full Potential and Find Career Clarity
Ladies, have you ever felt like you're holding yourself back from embracing true abundance in your life, especially when it comes to your career? Today, I want to introduce a concept that might just blow your socks off – it definitely did for me! We’re talking about the idea of upper limits.
Did you know that each of us has an upper limit for embracing abundance in our life that is based upon years of programming? This happens ESPECIALLY during childhood.
It can relate to all aspects of our lives: relationships, finances, careers, expression of ourselves… the list goes on. The upper limit often comes about when we feel that things are just getting TOO good in our lives and we need to knock some things down to get back to OUR personal normal threshold for Good. Otherwise, it is just too much.
And this concept, studied by author Gay Hendricks in his book, The Big Leap, feels especially relevant for us mid-life women seeking career clarity and considering a career change.
Understanding Upper Limits and Their Impact on Career Clarity
Our upper limits are the invisible barriers we create based on years of programming, especially during childhood. These limits can relate to all aspects of our lives, including our careers.
When things start to feel too good – surpassing our "normal" threshold – we subconsciously find ways to sabotage ourselves and return to our comfort zone, which can bring us to a full stop on our journeys toward career clarity.
For example, if you were raised with the belief that you should put others' needs before your own, you might find it challenging to prioritize your own career aspirations. When opportunities arise for you to really go after your dream career, you may hesitate or even self-sabotage because it feels "selfish" or outside your comfort zone… ultimately preventing you from achieving the career clarity you’re looking for.
The Four Hidden Barriers to Achieving Career Clarity
Gay Hendricks identifies four categories of hidden barriers that stem from fears and false beliefs. These barriers can obscure our path to career clarity:
Feeling Fundamentally Flawed
When we believe we are inherently flawed, we hold ourselves back from reaching our Zone of Genius as a protective measure against perceived inevitable failure.
Disloyalty and Abandonment
We may feel that pursuing our dream career or finding career clarity would be disloyal to our family or friends, or that we'd be leaving them behind.
Believing That More Success Brings a Bigger Burden
Some people feel that attaining higher levels of success will lead to more responsibility, pressure, and demands on their time and energy.
The Crime of Outshining
We may have been taught that it's wrong to outshine others, especially family members or friends, and that we should dim our own light to avoid making others feel inadequate.
Recognizing these hidden barriers is crucial in overcoming them and achieving the career clarity we desire!
Spotting Your Own Upper Limits on the Path to Career Clarity
To begin overcoming your upper limits and gain career clarity, you first need to recognize them.
Some common signs include:
Criticizing or blaming others
Deflecting compliments or opportunities
Starting conflicts or arguments
Not keeping agreements or commitments
These self-sabotaging behaviors aim to stop the flow of positive energy and keep you within your limited tolerance for abundance, blocking your access to true career clarity.
Exploring Your Upper Limits Exercise: A Step Towards Career Clarity
To help you explore your current limits and gain career clarity, I've created an exercise based on The Big Leap and the big idea of upper limits. It’s only three steps. Here’s how to do it:
Consider your openness to expansive and abundant success, to a career that aligns with your strengths, values, passion, and purpose. What percentage (0-100%) would you give yourself?
Next, identify any thoughts, fears, or false beliefs that may be holding you back from feeling deserving of your dream career. Do you feel fundamentally flawed or unworthy? These limiting beliefs can cloud your career clarity.
Now, visualize and describe in detail what your life would look like with full abundance in your career. Imagine working in your Zone of Genius, feeling truly deserving of your success. How would your day-to-day life feel? What would your mental, physical, and emotional well-being look like? How would your professional and personal relationships flourish?
Even if you only spend a few minutes with this exercise, this visualization can help you take a small step toward the career clarity you've been seeking.
Embracing Your Zone of Genius and Finding Career Clarity
Ladies, by recognizing and overcoming our upper limits, we can unlock our full potential, step into our Zone of Genius, and achieve lasting career clarity. This is the sacred part of ourselves that yearns to be expressed, and it's NEVER too late to embrace it! As mid-life women, we have the wisdom, experience, and self-awareness to make this transformative shift.
Remember ladies, you deserve a career that aligns with all of who you are. Let's expand our capacity for abundance and crush mid-life together!
I’m Dawn LaRae, and I help unfulfilled, mid-life professional women gain clarity and confidence in their next career chapter so they can experience passion and purpose in their work.
If you’re looking for some extra support, here are three ways I can help!
We have a great community space FULL of tips, resources, and conversation for all of us mid-life ladies to support each other on our journeys together! Join the Mid-Life Career Transformation Community for Professional Women Facebook Group!
Download your FREE Guide: 4 Steps to Uncovering Your Next and Best Career Chapter.
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