How often do you use an App like Waze?
The beautiful thing about these kinds of Apps is that they give great information. Waze asks just one thing, where do you want to get to? It is essential to put in a destination otherwise it doesn’t know where you want to go to, and it can’t help. Doesn’t this sound a bit like a goal?
Know your destination
We are currently in Italy. It is first thing in the morning and the birds are chirping. I’m drinking my ginger tea and enjoying the fresh morning air, writing, which I love to do. We have used Waze to get to the place where we are staying. We would have struggled to get here if we didn’t know the address or be able to use an App like Waze. Without a destination, even Waze can’t help us. We would probably still be navigating the language and road system, unless we had taken a taxi or Uber. So, my first question. Do you know what you really want to achieve?
Think about what you really want
Stop and think about this for a moment. The traffic lights are red and before you move on, think about the road you want to take, the journey you are on. Our goals need GPS. Who or what can help get you there more quickly?
Recognized and acknowledge milestones
When we drive to Denver we take our big dog with us. We take the dog instead of flying because our dog has seizures. He had a seizure just last week.
What motivates us to go to Denver in the first place? To see our son.
Think about what motivates you
When we drive to Denver, some 1300 miles, we know the route, yet we still use Waze. Why?
- Waze tells us the route and keeps us on track when we get bored, sluggish or distracted. Did you know there are hardly any traffic lights between Reno and Laramie, which is about 1000 miles.
- It lets us know the obstacles along the way to be aware of, such as a car on the side of the road, or debris.
- It tells us about the police, hidden or not.
- We are informed of the current speed limit in that region, and we are aware of whether we are speeding or not
- If we break the journey down into smaller distances, it will give us the time and distance in miles we still need to drive to achieve our final destination. Without a destination, even Waze can’t help. Waze is more than a navigation App.
All these areas a coach should be doing with us.
We are new to the Italian road system, we’ve not been here in a very long time, so our awareness to the surroundings is much higher than it would normally be, yet we drive to Denver a couple of times a year. Over the years of driving to Denver, we have become familiar with the roads, and we are familiar with the best places to stop. We are prone to being on autopilot. Yet roadworks occur, which are an obstacle, and places, such as places to eat, close down or change hands.
Be aware of our comfort zone
Our familiarity of the regular route becomes the routine, habit and comfort zone. Without Waze, we forget to stop and reflect on what we are doing and where we are going. Sure, we do know the final destination, but the journey isn’t recognized in the same way. Without Waze, we don’t know the obstacles and hazards potentially in our way. We might be unclear of the speed limit in that area or where the next place to fill up with gas is.
Be mindful of obstacles along the way
We just aren’t as informed and aware of the journey if we don’t use an App like Waze. With knowledge and moments of reflection and planning, we can become more aware and be mindful of our choices. We can make decisions about what and where to eat. The next McDonalds is 50 miles away but there is an In and Out Burger 75 miles away! (protein style of course).
What is awareness?
It is consciously knowing and understanding something. The knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. It is the ability to be attuned to thoughts about external surroundings.
What is Self-awareness?
It is the secret weapon for habit change. Self-awareness is the ability to tune in to your own feelings, thoughts, and actions. When people are self-aware, they understand their strengths and challenges and know what helps them thrive. They also understand that other people may see them differently.
Self-awareness is one of the most important traits we can develop within ourselves. What can Waze teach us about Success if we are driving on autopilot and we’re not aware? Self-awareness benefits extend to just about everything, whether it’s managing our emotions in conflict, or understanding our weaknesses at work, or even being realistic on what we can accomplish. Every step of the way, self-awareness is necessary to make success happen.
Build self-awareness to create success
When people are self-aware, they understand their strengths and challenges and know what helps them thrive. They also understand that how they see themselves might be different from the way other people see them.
When people understand themselves better, it’s easier for them to build positive self-esteem. That’s especially important for people who learn and think differently and who struggle with certain skills and tasks.
Self-awareness gives us a way to look not just at our challenges, but also to see what we’re good at and how to approach it. If we use an App like Waze, a mentor, or work with a coach, we can establish and build on our self-awareness.
For us on our drives to Denver, the best thing we can do to improve our effectiveness is to become more aware of how we are feeling. Are we getting tired, mesmerized by our surroundings, especially if there are bollards along the road closing a lane. Learning to make wiser decisions helps us to tune into our thoughts and feelings. We use and follow Waze so that we know the next place to stop, and we can decide if we want to change drivers or keep going.
Be mindful of routines
Routines and systems can be very effective but our mind is hardwired to protect itself at all times. We create routines so that our brain exerts less effort and spends less energy. Have you ever driven somewhere and wondered how you got there, or driven to the wrong place because you were on auto pilot and deep in thought thinking of something else?
Beware of autopilot
The potential danger in being in autopilot is that we can get too comfortable doing the wrong things. Self-knowledge leads to awareness and a behavioral change. Awareness can create self-confidence and self-esteem, if we are receptive and learn how people react to us. We can choose to do something about changing it while we are working with someone we trust, like a coach, or trusted, experienced mentor.
Build confidence
Confidence is built by doing the difficult things with a support mechanism of someone who knows what they’re doing. By doing the difficult things correctly over, and over again, the task becomes easier and it becomes the new normal. By repeating these difficult things, we learn and become better at doing them and therefore we progress.
The way we process reactions and turn them into positive energy is a choice that fuels our self-confidence. Example: We choose to dress smartly in our best clothes and we feel good. People compliment us, which validates our choice and fuels our self-esteem.
Have others feel confident in us
People must feel confident in our ability. Why would anyone buy from us if they didn’t feel confident about our ability? Why would anyone hire someone that didn’t show the level of self-confidence to do the task? Others must feel confident in us. What can you refine that will build their confidence, improve your closing ratio and have you bee more successful? Become more self aware and find out.