Anybody who has watched a child experimenting with the world and been horrified at some of the things they will try out should recognise the lack of self imposed limitations in the young. Young people (and young animals) are constantly looking for the boundaries – to see what they can get away with. As we mature and get more “responsible” we behave better. We learn to stop trying things that we understand are bad. We also learn to stop trying things that might be good.
Ask yourself:
- What have I decided to stop doing recently that would previously have given me a boost?
The elderly often have a very well developed set of self imposed limitations.
If you find yourself placing restrictions on what you will try out, you might be missing out on some fabulous experiences. You may also be restricting the opportunities to grow your business.
Business Implications
In business, it is easy to find ourselves imposing limitations on our behaviour. And then we are disappointed when we fail to develop the business in direction we had hoped for.
Business Breakthrough
Often, the business breakthrough we are looking for can be delivered – as long as we:
- Change our behaviour and start trying things outside the range of our self imposed limitations
- Encourage others to take risks (in a safe environment)
- Are prepared to accept some things not working
- Are honest with suppliers/ customers/ employees that we are trying something different
- And then we get them involved in the process
