Turning Potential Into Reality: How to Activate What’s Inside You

Potential is exciting—but if it stays dormant, it becomes a burden. In Episode 171 of The Impossible Life Podcast, Garrett Unclebach and Nick Surface walk through how to turn your God-given potential into real, tangible results.

Whether you're sitting on untapped dreams or struggling to follow through, this episode gives you a powerful framework to move from desire to reality with clarity and confidence.

The Burden of Untapped Potential

Everyone has potential—but not everyone activates it. And when you don’t, you feel it. The frustration. The guilt. The gap between what you know you’re capable of and what you’re actually doing.

“Potential becomes pain when you don’t move on it.”
—Garrett Unclebach

But here’s the truth: God didn’t give you potential to tease you. He gave it to be developed, committed to, and lived out.

The 3-Stage Process: From Desire to Reality

Garrett and Nick break down the path from untapped potential to fulfilled purpose in three stages:

Stage 1: Desire (The Spark)

Every breakthrough begins with desire. It’s the God-given awareness that you’re made for more.

But desire alone won’t get you there. You can dream for decades and never move an inch if you don’t act.

“Desire is the spark, not the strategy.”
—Nick Surface

Key Insight: Don’t confuse desire with progress. You have to move beyond the emotion into action.

Stage 2: Commitment (The Decision)

Desire must lead to commitment. This is where most people stall. They want change but don’t make the decision to go all in.

“Commitment is the bridge between potential and reality.”
—Garrett Unclebach

Commitment means:
✅ No more negotiating
✅ No more excuses
✅ No more “I’ll try”—just “I will”

Key Insight: Your potential becomes power the moment you fully commit.

Stage 3: Reality (The Grit)

Once you commit, it’s time to build. Reality is forged in the trenches—through discipline, belief, and consistency.

This is where declarations come into play. Garrett and Nick talk about the power of speaking truth over yourself daily, even when your circumstances don’t match your confession.

“Declarations reinforce belief. Belief fuels grit. Grit produces results.”
—Nick Surface

Key Insight: You create reality by choosing to believe God’s truth and backing it with action.

Why Most People Never Reach Their Potential

Garrett and Nick highlight three key reasons people stay stuck in potential:

1. They Wait Too Long to Commit
   They overanalyze or wait for perfect conditions.

2. They Doubt Themselves or God
   They believe lies about who they are and what’s possible.

3. They Don’t Build the Habits
   Without consistent action, even the strongest desire fades.

“The life you want is on the other side of the commitments you won’t make.”
—Garrett Unclebach

Practical Action Plan: Activate Your Potential Today

✅ Step 1: Identify the Desire

What area of your life are you sensing untapped potential?
Write it down. Be specific.

✅ Step 2: Make the Commitment

Say it out loud:
“I commit to becoming the man God created me to be in this area.”

Then back it up:

• Schedule your first action

• Tell someone who will hold you accountable

• Remove excuses and backup plans

✅ Step 3: Declare Your Identity Daily

Write 3 declarations that reflect who you are becoming.
Example: “I am a disciplined man who follows through.”

Speak them out loud—every day.

✅ Step 4: Build the Habits

• Choose one daily habit that supports your goal

• Track it for 30 days

• Review weekly and adjust as needed

Final Thought: Your Future Is Waiting on Your Commitment

God didn’t give you potential to tease you—He gave it to call you forward. But it only becomes real when you decide to act, commit, and keep going.

“Potential is a gift. Commitment is your response. Reality is the reward.”
—Garrett Unclebach

This is your moment. Stop holding back. Step in. Go all in. Turn potential into reality—starting today.

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