Blind to Buildup

Let's just be brutally honest for a minute, ok? Why is it that we don't smell our own body odor or bad breath? See our own mess on our floors? Why don't we pick up our clutter but instead just step over it? Why can trash pour out and over a bathroom bin and an entire household of people will just keep piling on top instead of taking it out? And yet, if we go by another person who is, let's say, in need of some "refreshing" we notice the odor right away! We enter a public restroom and are disgusted by an overflowing trash bin, or even bits of rubbish on the floor. We politely offer a friend a mint or a piece of gum before the conversation goes much further. :)

Unfortunately, it is human nature to overlook

our own shortcomings while seeing and sometimes pointing out what we see as faults in others. We go about our daily routine and because we are so used to what we are doing and what we are seeing in our own habits and life, we are blind to the build up! When we add focusing on others, to our personal build up blindness, we provide an even further distraction from putting our focus where it ought to be.

Recently after mopping my floor (not once, but twice!) with cat pee (you can read all about that here), I decided it was about time I replaced my old mop head with a new one. Yeah, yeah, of course I knew that it was dirty due to the cat pee. But...I had NO idea of the dirt and grime that had built up on my mop! I didn't even have a clue how disgusting it had become until I bought the replacement and saw them side by side!

How long had I let the dirt build up?! How could I not have seen? How could I not have noticed how covered in filth it was? In comparison to the brand new, white and spotless one, there was no question of the build up I had let occur, over obviously far too much time! I had become blind to the build up! Have you become blind to the build up in your daily habits and in your business? Do you ever catch yourself noticing "mistakes" in others' practices and maybe even feeling it a good idea to be "helpful" and point them out to them? Or perhaps you haven't been as bold to outwardly chastise their ways, but you silently shake your head and tisk tisk?

All the while there is build up going on. Bad habits you are blind to. Essential work practices you are ignoring. And you keep mopping with that dirty, built up mop and tisk tisking to yourself wondering why you aren't making more progress. Why you aren't seeing results. A good hard look at your daily practices (your mop), and simply setting some new positive habits and sticking to them (rinsing out the mop and using it daily) might be enough for you. But perhaps you, like me, had let things build up for so long, and the build up was so bad, that you need to just toss that baby in the bin and start fresh!! You can sit down, in a quiet place and reflect on your daily practices, habits and work agenda. Think long and hard about what you are doing, what you are spending your time on. And why? Are those things meeting your goals? Are you closer to your dreams coming true? Ask yourself: "Do I spend more time noticing things in my daily life and routine that I can tweak and improve? Or noticing and maybe even pointing out such things in others?" I think we've let the daily grime build up long enough! Don't you? Being blind to our own build up is not only unhealthy and unproductive, it can be down right dangerous to our ability to build relationships with others and be successful in life! Here's to the blind regaining sight! No more build up, only building up! Time to move forward towards a bright, clean and successful you! Happy Mopping! Shannon