The most troublesome limits are the ones we impose on ourselves.

What Is Your AGL?

I did a lot of work with aircraft in the military, and setting the above-ground levels (AGL) was vital for deconflicting airspace shared by drones, helicopters, jets providing close-air support, and artillery. We would often provide lower and upper limits so each aircraft could operate with confidence knowing that everything else was operating safely above or below them.

There’s another AGL that affects you directly. It’s the Artificial Growth Limitation you impose on yourself that creates a comfort zone. Your AGL is based on common, often interrelated, fears, such as:

• Fear of Failing. You fear that going beyond your AGL is where people watch you fall on your face, and you’ll feel foolish for trying.
• Fear of Social Judgment. You fear that people will judge you for trying new things or growing outside of the box they have created for you.
• Fear of Being Wrong. You overthink your personal and professional growth, fearing that you will try something new that won’t work perfectly.
• Fear of Old Narratives. You fear that breaking through your AGL creates imposter syndrome. “You’re not cut out for this.”

When you feel these fears, it’s natural to retreat into your comfort zone. When you do so, your AGL thickens, like a protective shell, and actually shrinks your comfort zone. You’ve seen this with people who are “set in their ways,” unwilling to try new things or experiences, who procrastinate, and who become increasingly risk-averse.

Busting Your Self-Imposed AGL

But there’s another option when you feel these fears. You can recognize them as signals that you are bumping up against a self-imposed AGL. The fears are a signal that you need different kinds of support and capacity to punch through successfully.

Unlike military AGLs, where breaking them heightens the risk of mid-air collisions, busting your self-imposed AGL magnifies your growth and impact.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it’s the willingness to move forward while feeling it. Busting your AGL requires the courage to try new things and to ask for the support you need to navigate discomfort successfully and reach new transformations.

What AGLs are you ready to bust?