‘Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.’ Carl Jung
As another year closes I am currently in a reflective mode. I am very grateful for everything that I have experienced in 2014 as my journey continues. The most impactful experience of the year for me personally was a week long programme in Canada called Destination Coach. There I honed my coaching skills and expertise whilst also spending the week heightening my self awareness. This programme was hugely beneficial for me and for my clients. Learning is a lifelong process and it’s important to invest in your own personal development.
As a coach and trainer I believe it is imperative to practice everything that I recommend to my clients and therefore the experience in Canada was vital for my growth. I made some powerful personal breakthroughs which have led to me being more focused and gaining real clarity as to where I am going personally and my vision for Brightside.
Why is self awareness so important?
The impact you have on your family, friends, colleagues, peers and complete strangers should not be underestimated. The beauty is, you can make someone’s day with a few kind words, conversely you can upset the same person with a wrong turn of phrase. Being aware of how you communicate with others is vital to your self awareness. It is not simply the words that you use that should be considered but also your body language and tone. Only 7% of any face to face communication is impacted by the words you use. The greatest impact is made by our body language at 55%, whilst tone makes up the remaining 38%.
Communication & Adapting Your Style
Taking the time to stop before communicating a key message or leading a meeting will prevent you from jumping in and saying something that may disengage your audience. You may now be wondering, how can I quickly adapt my style now I understand the importance of being more self aware? We at Brightside use an innovative personal development model called Insights Discovery to help you understand your own personal style, communication, approach and ultimately what makes yourself and others people tick. Insights Discovery uses four colour energies to help you identify different traits. The model is very simple to understand but it’s depth and power should not be underestimated.
Insights Discovery Colour Energies
We all have each of the four colour energies within us, however, we will lead with one which our peers will usually be able to spot quickly due to our body language, tone and communication patterns.
In your daily life are you?
COOL BLUE
- Detailed
- Organised
- Reflective
- Questioning
EARTH GREEN
- Caring
- Patient
- Sharing
- Relaxed
- Supportive
SUNSHINE YELLOW
- Engaging
- Enthusiastic
- Demonstrative
- Sociable
FIERY RED
- Direct
- Action Orientated
- Forthright
- Competitive
Comment below and tell me which order you would rank the colour energies in. 1 being most like you, and 4 being least like you. Start to think about your colleagues, your partner or friends. What traits are showing up in them. The above is a brief summary of descriptors that I associate with the colour energies. The framework is used globally to help individuals, teams and organisations to work more effectively together.
Self Awareness Improves Everything
Self awareness for me is the key to all change within life and business. Without an understand of who you are, how can you expect to make big decisions and seek opportunities to the best of your ability. If you aren’t fully self aware, you may be reaching for the completely wrong goals and missing reaching your core purpose.
Each of our coaching and training clients will gain a heightened sense of self awareness through the programmes we deliver. We truly believe that starting with yourself and how you show up is the key to success.
Take the time out today to think about:
What are you doing?
How are you doing it?
What could you do differently?
I would love to chat to you about heightening your self awareness to enable you to reach your goals in 2015. Insights Discovery and Coaching are two key ways we can help you develop your self understanding. If you would like to chat please comment below or email me at: info@brightsideplanning.co.uk
Here’s to 2015 – the year of opportunities for YOU.
Be Inspired To Find Your Brightside
Karran
#brightsideinspiration