Unleash the power of full engagement

During my recent travels, I spent a lot of time on airplanes (let me quickly digress, by a lot, I mean I did two monster round-trips to—literally—opposite sides of the planet). To keep myself sane and entertained, I listened to bunches of podcasts. One of the most thought-provoking was this episode. In short, the idea is that the primary obstacle that most people face is that they hold back.

Holding back means not giving everything you have. What might that look like? Think of the last time you told yourself not to get your hopes up and you probably have a good idea of what it means to hold back. Anytime you find yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop, you’re probably holding back. Got talents you’re not using, even though the opportunity is there? That’s holding back. But so what? Does holding back hurt anything?

When you hold back, what you’re telling yourself is that all those activities aren’t worth your full effort. If you hold back long enough and often enough, it gets to be a habit. It’s like you’re saving yourself for something. But what is it you’re saving yourself for? Something that’s worth your effort? And what might that be?

One thing I know for sure is that everything counts. Every tiny step brings you closer to success. And who knows which step will be the one that really puts you into supercharged momentum? The only way to give yourself a shot is to be fully engaged. If you can’t bring yourself to participate fully, maybe—just maybe—you shouldn’t be doing it at all. I mean, really, if you’re not going to give something your real effort, why waste your time?

On the other hand, if you are serious about moving forward, being productive, realizing your dreams, then live like you mean it. The next time you feel yourself pulling back, reserving your time and talents, ask yourself: what am I saving myself for? If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing fully or not at all.