There comes a time when, whoever we are, we wonder if it wouldn’t be better to stop there. A little inner voice tells us that we have gone astray and that we cannot go any further, a fear often reinforced by those around us. How to overcome your limits?
If there’s anything difficult in life, it’s when you feel like your limit is approaching and you no longer have the ability to continue. If always wanting to push this boundary is not necessarily a good attitude and can prove dangerous for your health, athletes remain good examples to follow if you want to go further.
Keep the voices of discouragement out of your mind
When fatigue occurs, the best way to deal with it is not to think about it: you need to focus your mind on what you are doing, not on how you feel. If you list all the reasons that make you believe that you can’t do it, you won’t actually be able to do it. The principle therefore consists of ignoring doubts. A marathon runner doesn’t focus on the exhaustion that overcomes him. If he had to run the 42 km and repeat to himself that it was impossible, it would become impossible.
Think you can do it
Exceeding your limits starts with realizing that you are capable of it. You have not always had the same level, whatever the field, and you have already been able to progress. The question is not how many times you will try or fail, but how many times you will try again until you succeed. A famous adage in entrepreneurship reminds us: “They didn’t know it was impossible, so they did it.” » Tell yourself that surpassing your limits is perfectly within your reach.
Set achievable goals
To go the distance, top marathon runners don’t think about the finish line: they set an immediate goal. When you feel like you’re reaching your limits, just tell yourself that you’re going to continue to the next pole, then push back little by little. You will quickly be so close to the goal that you will only have to make a slight effort. This puts you in a state of mind where the work is already underway. From the moment you start, you have already exceeded your limits. If your usual maximum is to write 8 pages per day, you only need to write 8 pages and one line to do better than the day before.
Split as always
The magnitude of a task often deters people from tackling it. In this way, limits work like procrastination. Simply break your goal into mini-tasks and accomplish them one by one. Congratulate yourself on each step you take to go further. The pole vaulter does not seek to increase his performance by 30 cm all at once: he gains centimeter by centimeter, year after year, until he reaches previously unthinkable heights. Move forward gradually. You may not get there immediately, but you will make progress without even realizing it.
Don’t blame yourself for not getting it right the first time
Failing an attempt doesn’t mean you haven’t progressed. Your body and brain process the experience and learn from it. They will naturally give you the means to achieve this later. Stop telling yourself that you failed: you tried, and true success lies in the number of attempts, not the number of failures. Thomas Edison summed up this idea well by saying that he did not fail 1,000 times, but that he found 1,000 ways not to make light. Value the fact that you tried and never put yourself down.
Visualize what this will bring you
Projecting the benefits of change is a common technique among those who want to quit smoking. It turns out to be just as effective in dealing with your limits. Anticipating positive outcomes strengthens motivation. If your current limitation is fear of public speaking, imagine yourself captivating an entire room with your speech. This mental projection will help you take the plunge.
If others can, you can
You are no less capable than anyone else, and perseverance often takes you further than raw talent. Examples abound of people who have accomplished immense journeys without any particular arrangements at the start. It is enough to observe certain competitions where disabled sports athletes achieve extraordinary feats. Tell yourself that if others succeed, it’s proof that you can too. And even if no one has done it before you, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With perseverance, the limits eventually disappear.
