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Discover the real you using the framework of the Johari Window. Your success rate increases the more you know about yourself and the impact you have on others. A monthly ezine for organizations, business owners and professionals who want to excel.NOVEMBER 2002 IN THIS ISSUE Welcome WELCOME Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us. We are enjoying beautiful fall days in the San Francisco area. Our mornings are brisk, the afternoons are warm, and the trees are vibrant with red, yellow and golden leaves. It's a wonderful life! Just as nature changes, so do we. Our feature article "Who Are You?" Keys to Success is written and published by Carol Gegner. Are you ready to excel? Check out http://www.coachexecs.com. We are ready to help you! Any questions about your subscription? Check the end of the newsletter for information to subscribe or unsubscribe. If you like what you see, will you please help us grow by forwarding the ezine to your colleagues and friends? We truly appreciate your support. Who Are You? Mirror, mirror on the wall; who is the fairest of them all? Imagine standing in front of a two-way mirror seeking an answer to that question. What you see from your side of the mirror may or may not be what a person standing on the other side sees. To discover the real you let's use the Johari Window framework as a model for increasing personal awareness. Picture a window with four panes; each pane is a quadrant to help you understand the process of human interaction. The four quadrants are as follows: 1) open, 2) blind, 3) hidden and 4) unknown. The lines separating the quadrants are flexible so the size of the quadrants can change over time. The "open" quadrant consists of things you know about yourself as well as what others know about you. For example, you know your name. People who live and work with you also know your name. You know that you are a very positive, upbeat person. Others also see you that way. Any information about you that is known by both you and others is in this quadrant. Information you don't know but others do know is found in the "blind" quadrant. You may have a piece of spinach stuck on your front teeth. Until someone tells you about the spinach they have information about you that you don't have. Perhaps you constantly interrupt when someone is talking. Others notice but you don't. This is a blind spot for you. Lurking in the "hidden" quadrant is information you know about yourself and you have chosen not to share it with others. Not everyone needs to know the inner details of your life. It is appropriate to be selective with certain information. However, if you are starting a new business tell everyone you meet! Let the world know you are ready for their business. The "unknown" quadrant is what no one knows about you, including you! It's where your unconscious, untapped potential is waiting to be discovered. Perhaps you have artistic or musical talent you didn't know you had until you started taking music lessons or art classes. It's your growth and stretch area. Discovering the real you means reducing the size of your "blind" quadrant by getting feedback from people you trust about your behaviors to increase your self-awareness. More of the real you emerges in the "unknown" quadrant as you allow yourself to dream and take risks that stimulate self-growth. Receiving feedback enables you to see yourself as others see you. Appropriate self-disclosure opens the door for others to help you achieve your dreams. Investing in personal and professional continuous learning will lead you closer to your untapped potential. You can only grow as the "open" quadrant grows while the blind, hidden and unknown quadrants shrink. WORDS TO INSPIRE "Growth is the only evidence of life." "Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone." They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." GUEST ARTICLE "I guess I'm going to have to get used to the idea that I can't do everything I want to do," my coaching client said. At first, I didn't say anything about this, and we continued talking. His statement stuck in my mind, so much so that, a few seconds later, I stopped him in mid-sentence. "Wait a minute," I said, "why, exactly, can't you do everything?" The question startled us both, really, but as we discussed it, we discovered that it *is* possible to do "everything" you want to do, if you keep the following points in mind... 1. You can do everything, but not all at once. The biggest obstacle I find keeping individuals from accomplishing all that they want to do, is that they try to do too much all at once. Their wish-list of goals and activities gets longer and longer, and each item is given the same priority: ASAP! Despite what we've been led to believe in our modern age of multi-tasking computers and mega-time-saving devices, gizmos, and gadgets, most people can only do one thing at a time. 2. You can do everything, if it's important enough to you to do. When reviewing people's lists of "everything" they want to do, I find that many of us have items and activities that ended up on our lists by default. We added them because somebody else said we should do them or because we thought, at the time, they'd be important... only now they're not. If it's truly important to you, you'll find the time and way to do it. If it's not important, you'll keep avoiding, postponing and procrastinating about it. If that's the case, scratch it off your list and move on. 3. You can do everything, but you may not be the BEST at everything. If your goal is to be the BEST in every field of endeavor you're trying to pursue then chances are you're setting yourself up for disappointment. This is especially true if you have many diverse areas of interest. For example, you may have goals in the areas of entrepreneurship, writing, politics, and singing. While it's possible you might create a very successful retail business while writing a best-selling novel, getting elected a state senator, and releasing a top-of-the-charts album of your favorite t.v. theme show songs, it's not very probable. Strive, work hard, and apply yourself at every activity, but keep in mind that being the best requires a great deal of time, focus, and energy that you may not be able to commit if you're going in 100 different directions. 4. You can do everything, but there will be limitations. Every activity, every goal, brings it's own set of limiting factors that will effect your participation. Things like time, health, money, age, sex, weather, policies, etc. Some of these are changeable, some are not. 5. You can do everything, but not by yourself. Oh, you can try, but the more you attempt to do, the more help you'll need to get it all done. Success is rarely a solo adventure. Surround yourself with successful, encouraging, and uplifting people who will inspire and support you as you pursue your dreams. After all, once you make your dreams come you, you'll want to share them with someone. About the Author RESOURCES FOR YOU Are you looking for a perfect holiday gift for your clients? Take the stress out of shopping and check out our booklet "25 Ways to Work Smart, Not Hard" at What makes "25 Ways to Work Smart, Not Hard" a perfect gift? * It's calorie free Single copies can be ordered on line. For multiple copies please send an email to carol@coachexecs.com Return to the Newsletter Index. |