Many people are under the impression that when an individual has bipolar disorder he or she is limited in what they can accomplish in life. Parents may think their bipolar children shouldn't go to college, attempt to have a career, or start their own families because of the disorder. People may encourage their bipolar friends and loved ones to give up their jobs because of the strain of the disorder or to abandon their dreams of success because they can never be accomplished.

In my experience, while these people mean well they are actually holding their loved ones back. I've talked to hundreds of people and done massive amounts of research, and what I've discovered is that individuals with bipolar disorder are more than capable of accomplishing pretty much anything they set their mind to.

When I'm not individuals with bipolar disorder and their families deal with the problems associated with their condition, I'm providing business coaching services through my own business. As a result, I've talked to numerous writers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, inventors, and others who all want to talk about the same thing: why they can't get things done. They start off so negatively that they've already pre-determined that they will fail. As a result they don't set any goals for themselves or strive for anything bigger than what they feel certain can be accomplished.

You're probably wondering what this has to do with bipolar disorder. As you know, bipolar disorder involves two emotional extremes: depression and mania. During the depressed extreme, the individual usually ends up feeling and acting a lot like these people I coach during the day. They aren't optimistic about the future, they don't set big goals, and they don't get much done.

During the manic phase, however, that's not the case at all. The same individual will go after impossible goals, and they'll work hard to try and achieve them. They never place limits on themselves like many other people do. They never say to themselves, "I'm not going to be able to do that, so why should I even try?" Instead, they are positive and full of confidence during every endeavor. They don't waste time trying to figure out possible solutions in advance; they just go for it.

The good news is that someone who has bipolar - or even people who don't - can experience this same level of accomplishment without going into a manic stage. They just need to have the right attitude, which means being confident, setting goals, and persevering until they achieve their goal. They also need the support of people who care enough about them not to let them give up on their dreams or let some obstacle, such as the disorder itself, prevent them from trying.