Hidden Potential, The Science of Achieving Greater Things / Adam Grant

If you’re comfortable, you’re doin’ it wrong.    

Adam Grant... every time he publishes a book, I can't wait even a week, and I buy it. It seems to me that he is one of the few writers in this field whose every publication I've read, and that's because I really find him very good. I believe he always ends up teaching me something or helping me discover something I didn't know, and that's incredible, especially because I can implement it in my work.

The achievement is in the growing.

The following reading recommendation is for all those who want to work towards achieving better things in their lives in various fields, but this time I would focus more on the professional field.

The following review is a paradox for me; we have been taught, at least as Latinos, to work more to achieve great results, to use every hour to be productive, and if we're not, we feel terrible. Well, that's what I have felt in the last 17 years working. But today, for me it's completely different, or I see it differently... and this concept is self-care, and I love how this book is related to being more productive, yes, but at the same time giving value and importance to other concepts.

I already tell you that I recommend this reading 100% if you want to improve your habits and the way you develop in some aspects of your life that will ultimately help you feel better in a holistic way.

Growth is less about how hard you work than how well you learn.

I'll share some ideas from the book that resonated with me and that I'm looking to implement... that's the richness of these types of books. You can put them into action.

What counts is not how hard you work but how much you grow. And growth requires much more than a mindset; it begins with a set of skills that we normally overlook.

For me, it was also like a review of concepts:

Character is often confused with personality, but they're not the same. Personality is your predisposition—your basic instincts for how to think, feel, and act. Character is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts. If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day. Personality is not your destiny – it’s your tendency.

Our personality versus our character, how important it is to prioritize our values over our instincts. But for that, we really have to ask ourselves what our values are, have them clear, and walk on that and with that, move forward.

I loved the following phrase:

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller

Today, as I am learning a new language, there is a part of the book that resonated a lot with me, about what happens with people who speak many languages and how they manage to do it. I'll share a bit about this topic and the comfort zone we must pass through.

Becoming a creature of discomfort can unlock hidden potential in many different types of learning. The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort.

With this, I want to say that, even if it is difficult for us to feel in an "insecure" zone, it is actually the only way to always grow.

In the last few days, I have reflected that I have been procrastinating on things I have wanted to do for a long time and that, somehow, I stop myself from doing it. Today, writing this review, I come across this that I hope works for you as much as it does for me.

Procrastination is a common problem whenever you're pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. Psychologists find that procrastination is not a time management problem; it’s an emotion management problem. When you procrastinate, you're not avoiding effort. You're avoiding the unpleasant feelings that the activity stirs up. Sooner or later, though, you realize that you're also avoiding where you want to go.

One of the best ideas I take from this book is undoubtedly that my concept of feedback has completely changed. I found it incredible how he analyzes it.

Instead of seeking feedback, you're better off asking for advice. Feedback tends to focus on how well you did last time. Advice shifts attention to how you can do better the next time. Advice guides you toward what you can do right.

I insist, this book is full of ideas that helped me give a different meaning to certain concepts. I know there are people who live thinking that they must be perfect, and this ultimately affects them seriously. I leave you with a phrase:

"Wabi sabi is the art of honoring the beauty in imperfection." Wabi sabi is a character skill. It gives you the discipline to shift your attention from impossible ideals to achievable standards- and then adjust those standards over time.

And I think it's important to ask the right questions here or simply look back and see how much you have grown and how proud you should feel today about it. Because at some point, you decided to start.

I could keep talking about this book for pages; I invite you to really read it. I'll share a couple more.

Progress is not about what I have to do; it's more linked to what I want to do, and that connects us with what we really DO want.

Progress rarely happens in a straight line; it typically unfolds in loops. Fuel can come with small wins.

And of course, an idea that is key for me... because I practice it constantly. When you are learning something or want to keep growing in a certain subject, one of the best ways to take it to the next level is by sharing what you know, teaching is the answer, and it's real. When you do it, you realize if you really know or not.

When multiple people believe in you, it might be time to believe them.

The most meaningful growth is not building our careers—it’s building our character. Success is more than reaching our goals – it's living our values.

---

#Hiddenpotential #adamgrant #books #productivity #work #thinkdifferent #learn #shareknowledge