The other day I finally gave in and admitted that after eight years since my last eye exam I should go ahead and get my eyes checked. I didn’t think anything big was going to come of it, but I figured my eyes are critical so let’s just make sure they are still doing well. (If I’m honest I thought my prescription for computer work might have changed which was one of the other leading factors in deciding to get my eyes checked.) I go through the appointment to find out that my prescription had changed a little bit. But let’s back up for a minute to eight years prior while I was in college. I started having trouble seeing the board in class and was like “I think I may need glasses.” At that point I did, and I needed them to see street signs as well but didn’t need to wear them most of the time. So, back to the present…I took my new prescription over to the store to get new lenses and frames figuring they would just help me see the computer screen better. Once I got the new glasses and got them on I was looking around and literally could not stop saying “Wow I didn’t realize how blurry things were around the edges until wearing the new prescription.” It became a running joke with the person who went with me. I looked at them and was like did you know things could be this crisp. They just laughed at me.
Now I am sure you are sitting here wondering what this has to do with business and where I am even going with this. This is where it’s leading…
As humans, we don’t know what we don’t know, or in this case, we can’t see what we can’t see. Self-awareness is one of those things. It takes being 110% honest with yourself when it comes to potential blind spots or things that may be blurry around the edges. This is when we need to look to outside sources for feedback on the blurry edges and blind spots that we need to work on. We can get this through one of the assessments on the market, friends, family, the esoteric sciences or honestly and objectively observing ourselves or situations that keeping being a problem or challenge over and over in our life. Yes, I know getting honest feedback is hard. It’s hard to hear the areas where we need to grow. But if you think about it…wouldn’t it be better to hear them from someone you trust and know then to have something go wrong and have some stranger say “wow, they should have seen that and worked on it so this didn’t happen.” I think taking the time to reflect on yourself and your potential areas for growth is one of the best things that can be done. If you don’t actively take those steps, there are outside forces that will likely force you into the self-reflection that leads to greater self-awareness whether you like it or not.
So here is the question for you: do you want to be hit over the head with a small pebble or actively take the initiative? Or would you rather be crushed by “a boulder” per se? That leaves you no choice but to look at/ for the truth. Once you have that self-awareness the interactions with others, relationships both work and personal and even tasks and such begin to flow from within.
I say take that risk and jump to become more honestly self-aware. Be brutally honest with yourself.
Take a couple of minutes now and reflect on yourself.
- What situations seem to occur a lot?
- Is there something you are supposed to learn from those that you haven’t yet? I would say yes if they keep happening in variations…
The best thing I have done to date in my life is starting to be self-aware. Come on go ahead and take the risk! Be honest with yourself! I dare you!
