I can't unsee that
Awareness is the antidote to invisibility
I’m convinced that the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon is responsible for my recent spring cleaning kick.
Stay with me here.
Also known as the frequency illusion, it’s the psychological concept where once you notice something new (at least new to you), suddenly you see it everywhere, leading you to believe that it has a high frequency of occurrence.
It could be anything, like a car or a certain hairstyle, or, in my case, old unflattering clothes taking up space in my closet.
Once I saw one rarely worn sweater, shirt, or jacket worth purging, I saw another. And another. Before I knew it, I had three bags of clothes to donate.
In reality, there was no increase in occurrence; those clothing items had always been there. Yet they were “invisible” until I started to pay attention.
Now I literally can’t unsee them.
Said another way, I tapped into my awareness to eliminate what was no longer relevant.
And that, my friends, is the power of awareness in action.
It’s a pretty useful life skill, which begs the question: How aware are you?
Most people think they are, but here are five clues that might suggest otherwise:
You can’t answer the question, “What do I want?”
Self-aware people seek clarity and understand the importance of regularly carving out time to reflect on their goals. They also accept that what they want may and most likely will change over time and adjust their activities and priorities to support that shift.
Your career is on autopilot
If you’ve reached the point in your career where you’re mindlessly going through the motions, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize when they’re in a career rut because they busy themselves being busy, ignoring the red flags of their discontent.
You’re a multitasker
Sorry to break it to you, but multitasking dulls your powers of observation. It also prevents you from being fully present with others and picking up on body language subtleties and nuances of tone that suggest there’s something else in play.
You don’t understand why everyone is so sensitive
What we think we’re projecting and how others are receiving us can be two very different things. Self-awareness is not just about knowing how you move through the world but also how your energy affects others.
You’re always the last to know
Your ability to perceive what is happening—or predict what will happen—in your company or industry means that you understand how to connect the dots and read between the lines. The more observant you are of what’s happening around you, the better you’ll be to see the current reality and future possibilities.
Like me, you might find yourself with an urge to purge what’s no longer useful, clearing away the outdated and unnecessary stuff cluttering your life.
While you’re at it, why not apply to your professional world, too?
In my latest Forbes article, I share the ten best things to discard to “spring clean” your career.
Shine on,
Amy
P.S. Now that we’re inbox-exclusive (love that about us!), why not follow my musings across the interwebs on Forbes, LinkedIn (be sure to hit the 🔔 in the top right corner of my profile to get notified when I post!), Twitter, and Instagram too?
P.P.S If you really want to get meta, subscribe to my new weekly LinkedIn newsletter, m o m e n t u m, featuring insights to help you maintain positive motion and continually grow your career. As a bonus, it links to ALL of my content for the week, so you’ll never miss a thing and keep the momentum going! (See what I did there? 😉)
P.P.P.S. When I’m not writing this newsletter or seeing things once invisible, I’m a social media ghostwriter. (Yep, that’s a thing). I help founders, entrepreneurs, and CXOs craft their stories to communicate and connect better by magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.) Learn more here.
P.P.P.P.S. You have great taste in newsletters, my friend—thanks for subscribing! You are subscribed, right? If not, let’s fix that; click the blue button.
While you’re at it, be sure to check out the archives to catch up on previous issues, and feel free to share this one with your friends using the button below. Or better yet, invite them to join our Illuminate Me tribe!