As I recently shared in a workshop, in my past career, I worked in the aerospace and rocket industry for 8 years, as engineer and project manager. I can tell you that rockets are complexes. Turbo pumps spinning at hundreds of rounds per second, with temperature as cold as -250 Celsius with liquid hydrogen on one side and more than a thousand Celsius with hot gas on the other side, very detailed computer programming to send the rocket on a precise trajectory and put a satellite on orbit at tens of thousands of km from the earth in less than an hour.
But I can also tell you that human beings are even more complexes. It takes our brain less than 0.1s to get a first impression, 0.1s to make judgment and about 1s to make conclusions. Tens of thousands of thoughts are generated every day. Conversations trigger emotions and neurochemical reactions in our brain that will help bond with another person or will have us act from fear and distrust, and overreact, hold back or shut down.
We are very good at analyzing technical data, improving products performance or creating new services, but we are generally poor at doing the same with ourselves: analyzing the way we operate in the world , exploring new ways, developing and improving ourselves. Since we are the ones designing products, offering services, developing businesses, creating new projects, working only on these products, businesses, projects, is only one part of the equation. What we don’t clearly see is that we are, ourselves, another big part of the equation. Working on this other part of the equation will not only make us better persons, more self-aware, conscious and inspired, but will also greatly impact these products, services, businesses, projects that we are putting into the world. It’s totally fine to not work on this part of the equation, but in this case, you are leaving a great deal of potential aside. That’s not what I choose.
As Norman Vincent Peal says, “We are all capable of greater things than we realize”. For some it might be clear where there is room for improvement, whether in creating more results, in better communication, more powerful leadership, a more bonded and efficient team, , in having a better work-life balance or a more fulfilled life etc… But for others, it might not be so clear. For instance, successful people might think that they know how to thrive in life. And in a way they are right. But what they don’t see if that there is much more, there is another unexplored part on the spectrum of their way of being, of approaching their business/work and their life in general. What got them here won’t get them there. Keeping doing more of what you can already do very well will have a limited and predictable impact. On the other hand, exploring yourself and expanding your range will have an exponential impact, where things you don’t even think of start to happen.
But to do this, you have to let go of the idea that you know everything, have it all figured out and don’t need help (I know this one very well). And working on this second part of the equation, yourself, doesn’t mean to get more knowledge or learn more skills although that might be very interesting and necessary in some cases. It means to pause and reflect on yourself, on the way you operate in the world, its benefits and its costs, have someone help you see what you can’t see on your own, confront the parts you don’t like in yourself, face your fears, get challenged and unconditionally supported in order to transform new Awareness into Action.
You won’t be surprised that I recommend anyone who is inspired to improve his/her performance and / or improving his/her fulfillment to work with a (skilled and professional) coach. But I also know that making the 1st move can be intimidating. There can be doubts and fears to invest into working with a coach. This is why I created a virtual (zoom calls) group coaching program for 5 people maximum, at lower fees than individual coaching, which offers the possibility to get supported with individual challenges while benefiting from the coaching and experience of other like-minded people. If that sounds appealing to you and you’d like to know more, this is HERE.
So, are you willing to work on the second part of the equation, yourself? How are you going to do it?
Take care,
Evan Bernache 