You can’t unlock your full potential when stuck in a “either/or” mindset.When we’re feeling overwhelmed by mental and physical stress, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of making limited and unsatisfying “either-or” decisions. If being forced to choose between few options makes you feel anxious, restricted, deprived, and/or unhappy, then that selection is too limited.

Unlock your full potential can be obtained by gaining focus which is possible without succumbing to an unhealthy “either/or” style of thinking.

Some of my preferred methods include:

Go in both directions to unlock your full potential.

I dithered for far too long over whether to focus on writing fiction or nonfiction. Since I didn’t believe I could be successful doing both, I agonised about which path to take, ultimately finishing no novels in the interim. It was discovered that ruminating isn’t the most fruitful way to spend one’s time.

Taking immediate action is a decision-maker’s elixir. Despite my hesitation, I continued working on both book genres. The only way to know which way will bring you the most happiness and success is to actually take it. When you realise a road does not live up to your ideal, it might be liberating to let it go.

Make the switch from “either-or” to “both-and.”

As a continuation of the preceding concept, instead of viewing your options as “either-or,” consider whether it makes sense to view them as connected by “both-and.”

Now my story is “I write both self-help books and novels,” rather than the previous version in which I wavered between the two genres. I’ve begun working on two books: a self-help book that includes scripts for effective communication and a romantic novel. The communications scripts book quickly lost my interest because of the emergence of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence alternatives.

However, I was finally able to settle on one after allowing myself to begin both.

This approach is vital for those who want to pursue a creative profession but also require a stable source of income quickly. You are free to continue making music, photography, writing, or art as a full-time job or as a side hustle. If you could devote all of your time to your artistic pursuit, how would it make you feel? It’s possible, but most artists don’t have a trust fund or a patron, so they have to juggle other sources of income while they concentrate on developing a body of work that can sustain itself financially.

Be as efficient as possible.

Numerous studies conducted by neuroscientists have confirmed that humans are terrible at multitasking. Both Millennials and members of Generation Z can attest to this.

Studies have shown that it takes about 20 minutes to get back into peak productivity after switching tasks, so trying to cram too much into a typical workday can have a negative impact on output compared to allocating more time to a single activity type.

Based on the findings of this study, I propose arranging your work week in such a way that you have ample time to fully concentrate on individual projects without having to waste too much time switching gears. You could, for example, devote your mornings to one project and your afternoons to another, or your full workdays or weeks to one career concentration and your other weeks to another.

You may learn what works and what doesn’t by trying different things and seeing what sticks. The enthusiasm you feel when pursuing a certain option, the progress you seem to make, and how well the option lines up with your most important values are all useful indicators to consider when choosing a choice.

Identify someone you can look up to.

People learn most effectively by observing those around them. (This explains why offspring mimic their parents’ behaviour rather than follow their instructions.)

There is someone out there who has already accomplished at least a portion of your life’s goals. It’s a smart use of your time to learn from the mistakes and triumphs of others. Learning through making mistakes is a sluggish process unless you can learn from the many others who have gone before you.

Check to see whether there is someone doing “both-and” thinking well in the areas where you were scared you had to choose “either-or.” Then, investigate the steps they took to create and maintain that complex, welcoming environment.

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