Do Not Limit Yourself. 

Welcome to April

Having just finished another quarter, now is the perfect time to restrategize and refocus for the rest of the year.

The beauty of the human mind and body is how much it can do if put through its paces.

With the current economic crisis, we do not need to be told to plan well ahead to stay afloat. No one knows what figure the interest rates will decide to become today, tomorrow, or the day after. This may not be newsworthy to people who do not need to pay attention to words like inflation or economic crunch. Well, lucky them, right?

For many of us who have to look at these figures and concern ourselves with how they affect our budgets, we have to worry. Besides dealing with the effects of the economy, we also have goals to achieve. And we will never know how much more we can achieve unless we push our boundaries and not limit ourselves.

Limiting ourselves might seem like a vague and ambiguous term, but let me try to simplify it. For example, a doctor undergoes lengthy and rigorous training to qualify to practice fully, a training which seems never to end. It may seem to them that the only thing they can do is provide medical services. There may be no room to think beyond a daily job, and this is what your perceived limit is. However, it is possible to do many things outside your practice, such as mentoring, counselling, medical writing or something completely different from medicine. These “side gigs” can be fulfilling, helpful to others, and even reward you financially.

It is never too late to learn new tricks, though; as the famous saying, “The best time to begin was yesterday; the next best time is today.” You can do several things to remove limits and soar to unimaginable heights, and I have highlighted some of them below.

6 Ways To Break Boundaries

Thinking Beyond Your Profession

Limiting ourselves might seem like a vague and ambiguous term, but let me try to simplify it. For example, a doctor undergoes lengthy and rigorous training to qualify to practice fully, a training which seems never to end. It may seem to them that the only thing they can do is provide medical services. There may be no room to think beyond a daily job, and this is what your perceived limit is. However, it is possible to do many things outside your practice, such as mentoring, counselling, medical writing or something completely different from medicine. These “side gigs” can be fulfilling, helpful to others, and even reward you financially. The great thing about these is that they may require no additional training and may only take a few minutes of your time each day. Besides potentially earning money, they can also help you unwind and improve your mental health.

Be Creative With Your Passion

For example, If you are passionate about writing, you can think of ways to be creative with it. You could start a blog, a journal, or take up freelance writing for media houses. Your writing could educate, inform or entertain your intended readers. You could also write about tips and tricks to navigate the busy world of doctors. Whatever you find yourself doing or what ever hobby you have, create a passion out of it, be creative with your ideas and seek ways to make meaning out of it.

Learn A New Skill

Learning a new skill is not as daunting as it sounds, as you can learn many skills with only a few minutes of learning daily. Youtube is awash with thousands of How-To videos that can teach you to vlog, blog, and do complex things like taking photographs. You could decide to learn to write by starting a personal journal and growing it into a blog. Coding, data analysis, financial investment, software development are all trending with lots of people picking these skills up everyday.

Surround Yourself With Like Minds

Surrounding yourself with people who think as you do is great for motivation. This is why you must make a conscious effort always to think positively and stay around other people who do the same. Staying with people who realise that boundaries are only there to be broken may make it easier for you to leave your comfort zone. You may also find comfort and solace within such groups when things do not go exactly as planned.

Do Not Dwell On The Negatives

You should treat the negatives as pointers for how not to fail. Every venture may have a downside that you must make a mental note of. This should help to guide you in your life choices to avoid mistakes. However, you should not dwell on the negatives, as they have a way of discouraging you. Note them instead, and figure out how to deal with them so they do not stop you from achieving your dreams.

Think Big. Never Settle For Less. But Start Small

Do not be afraid to think that you can be the best at anything you decide to do. You can be a great writer, an amazing mentor, or own one of the most visited websites. All these are possible if you decide to begin. As a doctor with crazy hours, this might seems like an uphill task. But as I have earlier pointed out, sometimes you only need a few minutes each day. You could even treat the learning process as your way to relax and unwind after a long day at work. This way, you end up killing two birds with one stone. However, remember that you may have to start small to conquer new territories. Set goals and gradually increase targets as you learn more and grow.

Finally

After a long day at your day job, it is understandable that you want to kick your shoes to the side and find a couch. You may also want to catch up on your TV shows or see what is happening on social media. However, you can take a few minutes to learn something new or improve on skills you already have. Do not be afraid to take the plunge, and never limit yourself. As I have earlier emphasised, going beyond your limits can earn you financially and help improve your well-being. If possibilities are limitless, why should you have limits?

Cheers 

Dr Mute'