What are your blind spots?
Before you take offense, don’t worry; it’s not just you. Everyone has them.
Blind spots are the actions, words, or thoughts others notice or understand about you but remain unseen or unrecognized by yourself.
How do you discover your blind spots?
This is the hard part.
Ask people to tell you what they see as your blind spots, and then be open to listening without being defensive.
Athletes are great at this because their livelihood depends on always getting better, so they are continuously open to coaching that helps them eliminate their blind spots.
The majority of people rarely want to know about their blind spots, and this leaves them open to staying stuck in behavior patterns and repeating mistakes.
If you’re not open to external evaluations, then at least make an effort to be more self-aware. Becoming self-aware can be accomplished by monitoring your own behavior and emotions.
A simple journaling exercise that you can do during your day can be beneficial. Learn to pay attention to your feelings when making decisions or having conversations. Learn to tune into your body language when responding and speaking to others. And then take some quick notes to remind you. Very soon, you’ll be able to see patterns of behavior begin to emerge, and then you take steps to continue or correct your behavior based on the outcomes you’re looking for.
If you decide to investigate your blind spots, you can learn more about them by researching the Johari Window. This technique helps people better understand their relationship with themselves and others.
The funny thing about blind spots is that addressing them is an ongoing process because you will always be a work in progress.
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