Quick, how much do you really know about yourself? Sounds like a stupid question, right? But did you know that we often choose ignorance over understanding when it comes to our own motivations and actions?
It’s true, and it robs us of opportunities on a daily basis. So much so that some have chosen death over living an uninformed, ignorant life — take the Greek philosopher Socrates when he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
So why then, as leaders and professionals, are we sometimes so complacent when it comes to gaining a full understanding of every situation that impacts us and our people? One possible answer is that we are unaware of exactly what’s happening in our own personal and professional space.
The issue is not whether or not we are ignorant, but rather how and when we choose to remain ignorant about things that really matter. Here’s how we can turn this into positive actions:
The “Backpack Principle”
On a personal level, it is critical to understand how our past has shaped our awareness and understanding of the present. I call it the Backpack Principle. Simply put, when we are born, we receive a small “backpack,” a place where our life experiences start to accumulate.
As we grow, the backpack grows with us. Our parents, teachers, coaches, friends, enemies, and even strangers place their ideas and opinions of us into our packs. We also stuff the pack with our own experiences, opinions and beliefs. A lot of this is of limited-time use or simply negative.
Either way, it all goes in there, and the pack gets bigger and heavier. Eventually, we stop growing. But our backpack doesn’t, mainly because other people are still stuffing it full. In time, the ever-increasing size and weight of the pack overwhelms our ability to carry it around, as we remain ignorant of the fact that:
We have a pack filled with other people’s expectations and our own “self-limiting” beliefs.
We are not built to carry that weight from our past.
As adults, we get to choose what goes into our pack.
That effective, enjoyable living is a function of pursuing life with purpose, not useless baggage.
We need room in our packs for the people and things important to us now and in the future.
We are wasting time and opportunity by not stopping and sorting out our packs.
On a professional level, the Backpack Principle not only applies, but also becomes even more impactful as it holds tremendous power over our leadership abilities. As we move through our leadership careers, we receive ever-increasing training, experience and responsibility. Ultimately, it all ends up in our backpack.
So, what can happen when our professional “gear” starts competing for space in our pack with our personal “gear”?
Professional priorities crowd out personal desires and make us resentful and unbalanced.
Over time, family, friends and other personal relationships become weak and ultimately collapse.
Our enjoyment of life diminishes to the point where we don’t understand what we are really trying to accomplish.
The promise that professional achievement held in the past is no longer a motivator.
The allure of money, social status and success displaces the importance of serving others.
We become someone we never intended to be.
In short, our professional gear crowds out our personal gear and leaves us with a pack full of content not useful for a successful journey into the future. It’s time to look for a guide to help us empty it, examine each piece and retain what serves us.
Fortunately, Fort Worth has a variety of well-trained coaches who specialize in working with folks who want to become subject experts on their own lives. If this sounds like you, I invite you to contact me ([email protected]), and I will put you in touch with one or more of these professional coaches.