Something that I have been saying for a while, and something that I agreed would end when I returned from my recent retreat, was that I am the ‘dumping ground for All Things Hard’ in my business.
As a business owner, I care more than others, and I am the one ultimately responsible for everything that happens in my business. However, when things get hard, others don’t do their job and let things full to me to fix. I take responsibility for others, when I shouldn’t.
Since returning from the retreat, I have been reading The Big Leap. I have understood the concept of having an Upper Limit Problem, but I have never known the behaviours that are exhibited when someone reaches their Upper Limit. Now it is pretty clear.
Behaviours exhibited by people reaching their Upper Limit include:
- worrying
- blaming and criticising
- getting sick or hurt
- squabbling
- hiding significant feelings
- not keeping agreements
- not speaking truths to relevant people, and
- deflecting
I have recognised that I stop myself from excelling because I create problems that I can take over and fix, and hence fill my time, rather than having time to use to do things that will increase my business. I manifest IT problems, I manifest internet connection problems, I manifest contractual problems, I manifest mistakes … it goes on.
Another behaviour that I fall into is blaming and criticising. In my head, these words go around and around – for myself and my staff – until I am so frustrated that I want to scream.
I recognise these behaviours, and these are stopping. Because I am sick of this limited space that I am in, and I’m taking my big leap.