Tag: productivity (page 8 of 11)

September 8, 2024

Johari Window: The Best Way to Increase Your Self-Awareness

The Johari Window is an easy and scientifically proven method to help you increase your self-awareness and your understanding of others.

I learnt this technique this week.

You see, a long time, two psychologists developed a framework to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others. Their names were Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham. And guess what they called it…

“The Johari Window”

They named the model using a combination of their first names. These psychologists made the right naming choice. Because the Johari Window soon became a widely used model for understanding and training self-awareness, personal development, interpersonal relationships and team building.

And here’s how you can take advantage of this model.

How does this model work?

The Johari Window enhances your perception about yourself and how others see you.

This model is based on two ideas – Feedback and Disclosure. You can acquire trust by revealing information about yourself to others (Disclosure). And you can also acquire trust by learning more about yourself from others’ feedback.

The Johari Window represents you through four quadrants or rooms.

Each of the four rooms represents a personal detail, motivation, emotion, and whether you or others know the information, from four different perspectives.

What are the Four Rooms of the Johari Window?

Two of these rooms represent self and the other two represent the part unknown to self but to others:

The Open Room:

This part represents your conscious self that you are aware of and that others know.

Your attitudes, behaviors, motivations, values and way of life. This zone becomes your open self because you and others know it. You move within this arena with freedom.

In this room, you are an “open book.”

The Hidden Room:

This represents the things you know about yourself but others do not know.

The hidden room or façade can be any personal information which you feel reluctant to reveal. Your feelings, past experiences, fears and secrets. You might keep this information private because it affects your relationships with others.

The hidden room reveals deep insights, because how you see yourself is inconsistent with how you behave.

The Blind Spot:

This zone represents the things others see but you do not know.

Other people are bound to interpret yourself differently than you expect. So it’s important to approach this room with curiosity, not defensiveness. Ask questions to learn more about their perspectives.

After hearing their answers, ask them – What actions and behavior have I done that led to your answers. See your blind spot as a great opportunity to learn and increase your self-awareness.

The Unknown Room:

This is information unknown to yourself and others.

Underestimated abilities. Repressed or subconscious feelings. Conditioned behaviour or attitudes from childhood. These are examples of the unknown room.

You can unlock your unknown room through varying processes, either by self-discovery or observation by others.

How to use the Johari Window

Your target becomes simple now that you fully understand each room of the Johari Window.

Expanding your open room at the expense of the unknown and Blind spot results in greater knowledge of yourself. Voluntary disclosing your private room in greater interpersonal intimacy and friendship.

Reduce your blind spot by seeking feedback from others. Move information from the hidden room by taking time to reveal aspects of yourself to others. Then explore your unknown room by discovering your hidden abilities or by observing other people.

Most importantly, increase your open room to fully maximize your Johari Window.

What is the Ideal Johari Window?

A person with an ideal Johari Window has a significant open room.

Your goal is to expand this public domain. Do this by disclosing more about yourself to others. Also accept feedback from others.

A significant public domain shows that people know you well and that you are conscious of your own capabilities, emotions, and behaviors. This understanding between you and others improves your own effectiveness and makes social interactions easier.

You might even start feeling like Gojo Satoru at some point.

The greatest in your era.

August 11, 2024

Sprint Champion: What it takes to be at the Top

Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest Sprint Champion of all time and inspired a lot of people to keep watching the Olympics.

As a sports lover and Bolt fan, I watched the just concluded Olympics in Paris, France.

There were so many competitions to watch and follow, but I keenly followed the races and sprinters of the 100 meters Athletics with so much interest compared to the others.

I watched the finals of both Men and Women races and there were interesting results that determined the new Sprint Champions.

The Women’s 100 Meters Dash

In the Women’s 100m, there were 2 clear favorites to win the gold medal before the event began.

The first favorite was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who was already a two-time Olympic champion and easily qualified for the semifinals of the competition.

Yet, before the semifinals, Olympics officials said Shelly-Ann had suffered an undisclosed injury and won’t be able to run or qualify for the final race

This meant the second favorite – Sha’Carri Richardson now had a golden opportunity (pun intended) to win the competition.

Surprisingly, Sha’Carri the American world champion took second both in the semifinal and the final. She lost the gold to a sprinter from the small island of St. Lucia.

The champion’s name was Julien Alfred.

During the post-race press conference, Julien said something which got my attention.

“This morning I woke up and wrote it down, ‘Julien Alfred, Olympic champion.’ So I think believing in myself really was important.”

The new Women’s Sprint Champion – Julien Alfred

The Men’s 100 Meters Dash

For the Men’s edition, there was only one name in the lips of everybody following the competition.

Noah Lyles.

His on-track performances are good. His off-track flair and charisma were better.

Before the event, a lot of people were annoyed by Noah’s playful behavior. His constant showboating irritated others. He also engaged in brash trash talk and these actions fueled the growing resentment.

Noah Lyles sees himself as the new superstar of men’s athletics and he never fails to say this to any interviewer or fellow athletes.

Because of this, some people wanted him to lose this 100m final. After all, Noah is prideful, and pride always goes before a fall.

Others wanted Noah to win. Since he has always backed up in the talk in the past. To these people, Noah is the new Bolt. The future Sprint Champion.

The Men’s 100m sprint final came, and it was the tightest 100m final in global racing history — not just at the Olympics, but anywhere.

When the race began, Lyles was in last place after 40 meters. But after 90 meters he picked up speed and trailed the first person by .01 seconds.

Noah Lyles crossed the finish line just five thousandths of a second ahead of Thompson, who posted a time of 9.789.

Like Julien, the new Olympic champion for men’s 100m sprint also said something that confirmed their winning mentality.

“America, I told you; I got this,” Noah Lyles shouted in celebration after the race results were confirmed.

The new Men’s Sprint Champion – Noah Lyles

What does it take to be at the Top?

The quest for Olympic gold is one of the greatest dramas in all of sports.

It all boils down to this one fleeting moment after a lifetime of hard work, perseverance, tears, high fives, and early morning alarm clocks.

When milliseconds, meters and muscle matter most, there is no margin for error.

Aside from genetics, there are many things that we can learn from Olympians to help us reach our own personal best at work and play.

Being an Olympian is a full-time job. The job description is basically train, eat, sleep, repeat.

In addition to all this, I believe this was how Noah and Julien did it.

Confidence. Confidence. Confidence.

This is a feeling of self-assurance and belief in your abilities. Confidence is trust in yourself and your qualities or skills.

Being confident is the state of being certain about something.

It’s important to note that confidence is different from arrogance.

Healthy confidence involves a realistic assessment of your abilities, while also acknowledging areas for improvement.

The Sprint Champion vs Other Runners

You are one or the other.

But I’m not asking you to hate the champions.

Oh no. Learn from them.

After all, life is a race. These sprint champions – Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred are simply running theirs. Literally and metaphorically.

The other runners had to simply cheer and count their losses afterwards.

Now I’m asking you to be a champion yourself by trusting in yourself and your abilities.

Leave the other runners.

Become a champion.

Then maybe you too will be the top of your field… and the other runners will celebrate you as the Gold Medalist.

June 2, 2024

Spending Habits: Almost Everyone Spends Carelessly

No matter how hard you try, managing your spending habits as a young person will always be difficult.

But it should not be as challenging as it sounds.

Because managing how you spend your money can (and likely will) be a major contribution to your long-term wealth – if you are paying attention.

Today, I’m introducing four simple tips to managing your spending habits.

Let’s dive in.

Spending Habits

Your Spending Habits Can Always be Improved

Many young people don’t have a clear understanding of where their money is going due to a lack of tracking and awareness.

It’s possible that you have never received formal education or guidance on personal finance management. Or budgeting. And the importance of tracking expenses.

Or it could be impulse spending. With easy access to digital payments and a world of online temptations, it’s easy to spend without thinking twice.

What about peer pressure? The desire to keep with your friends, school mates and colleagues’ spending habits can also lead to overspending.

All these habits are natural to young people, but it should not be left to chance in your case. Your goal is to create and grow wealth both in the short and long term.

So how can you improve your spending habits?

Here are four practical ways, with some real-world scenarios.

Tip #1: Analyze and Track your Current Expenses

First things first – before you start spending your next money, analyze your previous expenses including small purchases. Allow yourself to look at your bank account to understand what is going on. Because you won’t learn anything if you make more money, and not pay attention to how you currently spend it.

Example – let’s say you got a credit alert and now you cannot account for the money. Don’t just shrug it off and move on.

Instead, open your bank app and take some time to look at your debit alerts, receiving account numbers and transaction charges. What did you spend money on that was not necessary?

At first glance, it might be difficult to fish out the ‘why’ behind your spending habits. But analyze your spending patterns to identify areas where you can cut back or adjust. Look for recurring expenses that may be unnecessary.

You’ll be better equipped in your financial journey if you can learn to analyze and track your expenses. “What could I have done better here?” is a powerful question to consider when tracking your expenses.

Tip #2: Categorize your Spending.

When you have an idea about what you spend your money on and what should be left, your next step is to categorize your spending, based on your findings.

Divide your expenses into categories like rent, groceries, entertainment, etc. This helps you identify areas where you might be overspending.

Sometimes, we are used to some expenses that we can’t see that they might be unnecessary or repeated too often. So, sort your debit alerts. Use apps or spreadsheets to categorize spending for better visibility. You’ll be impressed by the valuable information these tools will give you – if you’re not lazy and willing to look at them.

Tip #3: Create a Budget

Now that you have analyzed your current expenses and labelled your spending, it’s time to do something with this valuable information.

Based on your income and expenses, create a budget that allocates funds for essential needs, savings, and discretionary spending. Even with limited income, a budget helps prioritize needs and identify areas to cut back.

Stick to this budget as much as possible.

Because this is where most young people, including the financially literate ones give up.

Sticking to your budget might be the most challenging thing ever. But if you can manage it, there are a whole lot of benefits on the other side.

Tip #4: Find a Tracking Method that Works for You

There are many options! Try a budgeting app, a physical notebook, or even a spreadsheet. The key is to find something you’ll use consistently.

Utilize budgeting apps, spreadsheets, or online tools to easily record and categorize your expenses. Many of these tools can provide visual representations of your spending patterns.

I recently had a tracking problem with my budgeting tool, and I discussed it with my colleague, who was kind enough to help. He shared how he combines his tracking with a spreadsheet for budgeting and his Notes app for instant expenses and I had this major “a-ha” moment.

And on this tip – it’s worth mentioning – Make sure you review regularly. Regularly review your budget, expenses, and progress towards financial goals.

Adjust as needed to stay on track.

Your Money, Your Rules

Managing money and building wealth legally as a young person is a unique experience, no doubt.

But remember this. When you hit a bad spending ditch, whether unexpected expenses, or financial debt – it’s not the end of the world.

These spending habits are just small signals telling you there are other directions to explore. That you haven’t arrived at your destination quite yet.

I hope these little tips will help you navigate your financial journey. And maybe they’re just the push you need to get back on track and keep going.

“If you buy what you don’t need, you steal from yourself.”