set up my own business, deciding what not to do so I could focus. But slowly, and surely, things have come together which brings me on to: Fruitio n So, how long does it take to see your potential come to fruition? I don't want to torture the fruit metaphor, but as fruit grows: - It grows slowly so that you wouldn't notice it growing if you sat staring at it. - It has seasons and there are some great periods of growth and some that aren't so good. - Even though it grows slowly and at differing speeds, it does grow and there is something great at the end of it. It is the same with seeing your potential come to fruition; it may not happen overnight, it may not be a straight road, but you do need to be moving steadily in the right direction and if you're not seeing any growth, it is time for some serious thinking. So, if you want to realise your potential and see it come to fruition: 1. Become fully aware of your potential 2. Cause your potential to happen. Do what it takes. 3. When appropriate, be patient 4. If you're not growing and moving towards realising your potential, be impatient and do something about it! This blog post is part of the UK HR Blog Carnival, where a number of bloggers are writing about 'When potential comes to fruition'. Here is the curated list of posts . I'm Ian Pettigrew