The Law of Expansion

The only way to increase your capacity intentionally is to change the way you approach personal growth. Learning more information isn’t enough. You must change how you think and you must change your actions.

Most experts believe people typically use only 10% of their true potential. So how do we tap into the unused 90%? The answer is found in changing how we think and what we do.

How You Need to Think to Increase Your Capacity

1.  Stop thinking more work and start thinking what works?

Ask most people how they can increase their capacity and they’ll tell you by working more. There’s a problem with that solution. More work will not necessarily increase your capacity. More of the same usually results in more of the same. Start thinking what works and repeat it.

2.  Stop thinking “Can I?” And start thinking “How Can I?”

When you ask yourself “How Can I?” you give yourself a fighting chance to achieve something. The most common reason people don’t overcome the odds is that they don’t challenge them enough. They don’t test their limits. They don’t push their capacity. How Can I? assumes there is a way. you just need to find it.

3.  Stop thinking one door and start thinking many doors

When it comes to growth, you don’t want to stake your future on one “door.” It may not be open! It’s much better to consider many possibilities and look for multiple answer to all your questions. Think in terms of options.

Start Expanding Your Capacity

1.  Stop doing only those things you have done before and start doing those things you could and should do

Doing new things leads to innovation and new discoveries, and among those discoveries is the realization of things you should do on a consistent basis. If you do those, you will continue to grow and expand your potential. If you don’t, you will plateau.

2.  Stop doing what is expected and start doing more than is expected

To distinguish yourself, get notices, and advance your career, you need to do and be more. You have to raise above average. You can do this by asking more of yourself than others ask, expecting more from yourself than others expect, believing more in yourself than others believe, doing more than others think you should have to do, giving more than others think you should give, and helping more than others think you should help.

Excellence means doing your very best. In everything. In every way.

3.  Stop doing important things occasionally and start doing important things

To do what’s not important every day does nothing for you. It merely uses up your time. To do the right thing only occasionally does not lead to consistent growth and the expansion of your life. Both components are necessary. Daily growth leads to personal expansion.

* Source: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell