How to Unlock Your Full Potential in Just 12 Months

Why Staying Average Keeps You Stuck

By definition, being average is the default. It’s where the majority of people live.

It’s safe, familiar, and low-risk—but it’s also crowded, limiting, and often unrewarding.

Think about it:

• You compete for the same okay-but-not-great jobs.
• You compete for raises that barely keep up with inflation.
• You compete for the same “status symbols”—a bigger condo, a more expensive car, the latest designer handbag.

Breaking free of this cycle doesn’t require superhuman talent, luck, or even extraordinary effort. It requires a mindset shift and a willingness to adopt habits and principles that most people ignore.

Through my own 20-year career journey, I’ve seen how transformational this shift can be. It’s a lesson reinforced by the incredible books I’ve drawn from time and again—like Zero to One, Extreme Ownership, and How to Win Friends and Influence People—all of which I share in my Business Book Recommendations list.

1. Start Small to Build Big Momentum

Big goals can be intimidating, and too often, we put them off because they feel overwhelming. The secret? Start small.

Starting small isn’t about lowering expectations—it’s about building momentum. Think of small wins as kindling that sparks a larger fire. To create meaningful progress, break your big goals into manageable steps.

Here’s how:

• Reduce friction by making it easy to get started.
• Focus on a 2-minute action: one small thing you can do today.
• Let go of perfection—progress matters more than getting it “right.”

For me, success in any area—work, relationships, or personal development—has always started with small, consistent actions.

2. Design Your Environment Intentionally

Your environment plays a powerful role in shaping your habits and decisions. When you design it with intention, it becomes easier to make good choices and build the life you want.

• To create good habits, reduce friction: Keep tools and reminders (like workout clothes or books) where you’ll see them.
• To break bad habits, add friction: Make distractions harder to access, like unplugging the TV or setting limits on social media.

Extraordinary people design their lives to work for them, while others let their environment shape them. By intentionally reducing or adding friction, you can align your daily actions with your goals.

3. Surround Yourself With the Right People

We’re shaped by the people we spend the most time with. If you want to grow, be intentional about surrounding yourself with:

• Peers who challenge and inspire you.
• Mentors who guide and support you.
• Mentees who remind you how far you’ve come.

Mentees are particularly powerful because they offer perspective. When I spend time with mentees or speak to students, I see myself in them—where I used to be and the fears I’ve already overcome. It reminds me that the challenges I face today will someday feel small, just as those past worries do now. That realization fuels me to keep pushing forward.

4. Question Everything

Growth comes from curiosity. When extraordinary people see success, they don’t just admire it—they analyze it.

Sometimes, when I see a peer achieving something I admire, I feel a twinge of jealousy—it’s only human. But I’ve learned to pause, acknowledge the feeling as part of the human experience, and then shift my mindset to curiosity. Instead of comparing myself, I ask:

• What steps did they take to succeed?
• What systems or strategies worked for them?
• How can I apply those lessons to my own goals?

When you shift your perspective from comparison to curiosity, you unlock the ability to learn and grow.

5. Treat Life Like an Experiment

Life isn’t about getting it perfect on the first try—it’s about learning, growing, and refining as you go. We’re here to learn lessons, so trust your intuition and approach life as a series of experiments:

• Come up with ideas.
• Test them out.
• Adjust based on what works and what doesn’t.

For example, I set out to grow my personal brand online by experimenting with this website and LinkedIn. I challenged myself to record all the frameworks, blueprints, and lessons I’ve learned throughout my career—getting them out of my head and onto paper—and post five times a week for four weeks, carefully analyzing what resonated and what didn’t. Over time, I refined my approach, and the results exceeded my expectations—opportunities like speaking at Northwestern University, attracting new business inquiries, and other incredible, positive outcomes began to flow my way.

The lesson? Growth comes from action, reflection, and refinement.

6. Embrace Failure as Part of Growth

Failure is uncomfortable—but it’s also a necessary part of growth. Every setback is a chance to learn, adjust, and try again.

Growth and change are hard. They require discomfort, uncertainty, and effort. But staying the same comes with its own kind of pain—the pain of unfulfilled potential.

Instead of avoiding failure, focus on resilience. Learn to bounce back, recalibrate, and keep moving forward.

Your Roadmap to Growth

The path to becoming your best self isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Here’s how to start:

1. Begin with small, manageable steps.
2. Design your environment to support your goals.
3. Surround yourself with people who push you to grow and give you perspective.
4. Stay curious and question everything.
5. Treat life as an experiment and iterate often.
6. Embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.

Growth doesn’t happen overnight, but with intention and consistent effort, you’ll look back in 12 months and be amazed at how far you’ve come. The journey starts with one step—what will yours be?