(Principles are basic truths that, when applied, cause success to come to you easier and quicker.)

 

As a Coach I spend quite a bit of my time observing people. It helps that I’m fascinated by humans and the human condition. By what we do and don’t do. By how we grow or remain stuck. By how we contribute or withhold. We are endlessly interesting and amazingly complex, a subject I expect to never master nor run out of data to observe.

Observing, in and of itself, is a useful tool. Mouth closed, ears and eyes open, works. Spend plenty of your time observing, collecting, analyzing. It will expand you.

Also, remember that the universe rewards action, engagement, participation. How you participate is up to you. Some will be the center of the action, others will be more quietly engaged.

You may hold back from participating since it’s not your natural state. If so, you’ll benefit from trying a little more. Take what you learn from observing and use it to participate.

Or you may be someone who prefers to plunge right into action. If so, you may benefit from observing a little more and find it maximizes your participation.

An interesting by-product of participation is it creates new things to observe.

 

Coaching Point: Observation tends to be inward directed. Participation, outward. Each person has their own sweet spot for the ratio between observe and participate. What’s yours?

 

Copyright 2014 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.