The french are radically self-aware and rarely apologetic – and I fucking love that. If you don’t know by now how much I’m obsessed with French culture, you don’t know me too well. If you want a fun & fresh look at French culture check this book out. Easy read, coffee table book, I love it.
Why are they so unstoppable? They live who they are and they are particular in most regards yet let laissez faire about it the things that do not concern them. Brilliant, much. Today our topic is day 3 of the “Twelve Days of Giving” and is all about self-awareness, business analysis and leverage.
When I say “Radical Self-Awareness & Leverage” I want you to think about yourself (part one) and your business (part two). The greater you know and understand yourself, the better choices you’re able to make. You know your strengths & weaknesses, what you’re great at, what you’re less great at, what & who triggers you, what lights you up, what your preferences are and what keeps you healthy, alive and ticking. Self-awareness takes time and observation. You can’t just wake up one day and declare yourself a list of characteristics; you live and grow into them – and you shift and transform over time. It’s a natural law.
How you get stronger, faster and more focused on that which you love and that which best feeds you is paying attention to your internal workings and your environment. How else would you be able to figure out your working parts without taking close observation ongoing? You wouldn’t, effectively.
Your business is no exception in perceived “self-awareness” or analysis, as I like to call it. Analysis is essentially phase one in my cash flow strategy & bigger picture vision planning process. Without taking a look at your position today, your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, how else would you know what’s been working (and why), and where to approach next to make the most efficient use of your time, heart and resources.
Back to the French. What they do, they do well. They know what they like and they have preferences. They don’t bother with second best (for them), and they certainly don’t waste time figuring this out on a repeated basis. There’s room for many options and opportunities – I mean, there’s more than one amazing French designer, fragrance, champagne, antique market, and beach holiday. There’s room for options – the options become easier to make in terms of decision when you know what you want and what works.
Using your self-awareness (on a personal note) and thorough analysis (on a business note) to leverage your strengths to the max: when you learn your strengths you can play to them and spend more time using those gifts vs. things that aren’t your strong suit. Kind of like figuring out what your “cash cow” is in your business. Play to the strengths and diversify, though know how to leverage those strengths and support it with that which will complement your core.
Point: self-awareness and analysis is a powerful tool to consistently be sharpened, your #1 resource and weapon pre-planning and projections for what’s ahead. I.e. your life and the growth of your business. Without the awareness, you’re a million, not one in a million.
I have very high regard for those who are highly self-aware. If they’re paying that close attention to themselves, they’re likely paying that close attention to their business, families, friends and many other things in life that matter which – means they care and value that which they have. Beware those with a lack of value for self and others, they’re not the kind of people you want to do business (or form friendships) with.
Action item: make an “I love about myself” list of 20 random things. You can do it. Twenty isn’t a big number.
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