There is a whole world of events happening around you. You don’t notice any of it.
How does the pressure feel against you?
How is your tongue sitting in your mouth?
What sounds can you hear around you?
You’ve probably read questions like this before, and you might be annoyed that now you can’t stop thinking about your tongue, but the point is important.
There is always a myriad of feelings, thoughts, and emotions that you are not aware of. And all of them influence your actions, decisions, and the outcomes of your life.
Take, for example, the warmth of your hands. Studies show that you will judge someone’s personality based on their hand warmth during a handshake. A cold handshake makes us think the person is distant, unapproachable, and less likable. A warm handshake makes us project open, friendly, and trustworthy traits. This tiny sensory input has a huge effect on the future of your relationships - and for no reason other than the temperature of the last beverage you held in your hand.
These are just sensory inputs. What about mental ones? Mental influences are even harder to be aware of. We have a host of implicit memories, biases, and heuristics that all exist without our knowledge. Most of the time, these learned behaviors are good for us. Sometimes, they become harmful blindspots.
Our body is incredible at learning and keeping us safe. We learn patterns and behaviors that help us achieve our fundamental needs with impressive efficiency. However, sometimes these unconscious actions or reactions start to hinder us.
Take our bodily reaction to a surplus of food. We optimize for physiological safety in the form of calories, but that behavior doesn’t work in the modern world. The same applies to other behaviors learned during childhood and early in life. These behaviors were effective but now form blindspots in our life.
Throwing a tantrum to get what you want may have worked pretty well as a kid. It's probably not the best course of action anymore.
Taking ownership, buckling down, and getting the work done are important personal traits. However, they can easily translate to an overbearing management style.
Keeping opinions to yourself is lauded in normal life where gossip is harmful and white lies are needed. Yet consistent and detailed feedback is essential to helping employees grow.
Keeping your eyes cast down can keep you safe from unwanted attention. However, that learned habit will constantly undermine your leadership.
There is a myriad of learned patterns, and they can often be insidiously holding us back without our knowledge.
The best way to find blindspots is through awareness. Like you brought awareness to the sensory input of your tongue, you can bring awareness to the blindspots in your mental maps.
Move Mountains helps you navigate leadership and personal wellness through the lens of mindfulness. There are key waypoints we make sure you gain awareness of, but each person is different. We teach you to check in with yourself, your body, and your surroundings to make sure you don’t miss the important stuff.