WHAT, REALISTICALLY, IS YOUR POTENTIAL?
WHAT ARE THE (COMFORTABLE)  LIMITS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE?



HUMAN PERFORMANCE LIMITS

Conor Neill provides us with a definition of human performance :

       Performance = Potential - Self Sabotage.
 
                                            (Distraction
                                             Limited mindset
                                             Arrogance - Denial, victim, sole hero, or ...
                                             Inability to handle anxiety and related)

Very true.  (It's a sub-part of The Power Formulas.)

However, we have no idea of what our potential is as we see only our limited performance, which is the result after having subtracted a whole bunch of wasted potential.  So, we think it is pretty small. 

And we think it is effortful and hard to raise our human potential.

That is not true.  That is strictly an unthoughtout myth (aren't they all?).

Performance is easy and natural IF we don't do the self-sabotage and grind up our energy and our spirit so greatly that we have little left to apply.

While we can apply productivity principles to our capability of performing effectively, we cannot come even close to our potential if we keep on subtracting so much time and effort and damage from self-sabotage.

While optimization of performance (to get the benefits you want out of life) is what we want, we can't do it without addressing each of what he calls "The 4 Arts Of Self-Sabotage".


DISTRACTION

Handle this by going to Eliminating Distractions And Irrelevancies From Your Life - And Living A Greater Life.  (Also relevant is The Law Of Relevancy - Staying On The Path Of What Makes A Difference To You!)

Those will cut out a wide swath of distractions, but we also need to deal with distracting emotions (anxiety, fear) and low energy (which causes the body to divert attention).  Note that #4 in the sabotage list above is about anxiety.  Basically, we need to understand emotions and how to manage them.  Interestingly, the majority of emotions in the moment can be handled quite simply, with many of them being handle just through doable physical actions.   For quick results see the Quik-Reference For Restoring Emotional Balance As Soon As Possible.


MINDSET

Protecting ourselves as if who we are is fixed vs. the ability to add capability, as discussed in The Fixed Mindset Versus The Growth Mindset - The Defensive What's Wrong With Me Versus The What Do I Need To Learn Now Approach.


ARROGANCE

Definition:  High self-importance, feeling one's 'truths' are 'right', denying other truths or inputs, one's way is the right way, exaggeration of one's importance (misconception).

Many people take the victim role, which looks like a feeling of being inferior but actually contains an element of you've got to take care of me, not hurt me, take responsibility for me, treat me right...  It is the core of the opposite of what works.  What works is in Responsibility Vs. Victimhood - A Look At Being Powerful, Or Not.  Read the related articles and learn how to "build yourself" so that you are no longer operating in the victim mode.  (Many people do not see that they partially do this.  It is displayed in unreasonable anger, which is blame and fear combined.  It is displayed in operating from "shoulds" and from judgments.  And a number of other victim viewpoints still exist in people who have risen into power despite these impediments, but who are often unaware of the basis for being a "partial victim".)

Also, seeing oneself as a sole hero who is "the one" who will save...  You get the idea.

Denying what is true, without fully listening, thinking, and considering, is also arrogance in action.


THE INABILITY TO HANDLE ANXIETY (AND THE "TRIGGER" EMOTIONS)

As far as this being a saboteur, I say "Amen and Amen!"

Follow the steps and key links from Anxiety And The Anxiety Cure - A Widely Felt Emotion, But Simply Reducible. 

Anger and its cousin resentment must also be managed and understood, as they are not givens nor are they compulsory reactions, but are thinking processes that need one's higher brain to manage and cure.  (See also Blame, Criticism, Resentment, Forgiveness - All The Same Source, All The Same Solution.)

One must, of course, understand the basic truth about emotions not being commands or something to be stuck in, as addressed in this piece and its key links:  The Vital Skill Of Emotion Mastery - Anxiety, Fear, Anger, Mood, Stress Management .


OH, AND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS...

From extensive study of this subject, I would estimate that we waste or underutilize 70% at least of our energy on poor return and/or damaging activities.  If we cut that out, we would at least double our performance.

If we learned how to fully utilize The Power Formulas, which have the purpose of producing the highest amount of value units of "Life Productivity", our potential is easily (i.e. with no more effort or "hardness") at least 10 times our current performance...


WHAT'S NEXT?

Obviously you'd at least read/scan the links, but then you'd embark on a path to complete your understanding level to "Sufficient Knowing."

This also relates to the mini-book called, at the time of this writing, The Quickest Route To High "Life Productivity" From Wherever You Are, which will be linked to from the Books, Booklets, And Quick Summaries page.