How to Outsmart Your Own Blind Spots & Think Outside Yourself

May 23, 2023

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INSIGHT

You Can't Read The Label From Inside The Jar

We frequently miss obvious solutions because we are "inside the jar" and can't see our own assumptions.
Charlie Gilkey shows this happens when unconscious patterns and assumptions accumulate until an external perspective exposes them.

INSIGHT

Catastrophe Thinking Turns Small Choices Into Life Sentences

People escalate low-risk, reversible choices into catastrophic, irreversible stakes in their heads.
Charlie points out that unpacking the hidden assumption (fear of permanent failure) immediately opens a freedom space to reframe options.

ANECDOTE

Charlie’s Annual Midyear Slump That Stops Big Decisions

Charlie shares his recurring mid-year slump he calls his "summer stupid faction" when he questions everything.
He avoids making major strategic decisions then, knowing in six weeks his clarity returns.

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Have you ever struggled with a problem or decision where the solution seemed impossible to see, yet obvious once someone pointed it out? You start kicking yourself for not seeing something that now appears so simple and clear. You're not alone. Nearly everyone has moments where we get stuck, limit our solutions and can't "read the label from inside the jar." How do we gain clarity on our own situations and start making better decisions?

In today’s episode, Charlie and I discuss the unconscious patterns, assumptions and emotions that keep us from seeing our own situations clearly. We explore simple but powerful techniques for questioning our default perspectives, inverting problems to gain fresh insights and seeking input from others who can serve as mirrors to reflect our blind spots back to us.

You’ll walk away with practical tips and prompts you can use immediately to "get unstuck" and spot options you’ve been missing right under their noses. Charlie explains how questioning old paradigms, reevaluating stakes and shifting mindsets can reveal potential opportunities we have been oblivious to due to being "stuck inside the jar."

In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:

SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Charlie Gilkey | Website

Charlie is a strategic advisor and executive coach, founder of the Productive Flourishing consultancy, and author of the multi-award-winning book, Start Finishing.

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

So what is your Sparketype? Turns out, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive, this is your Sparketype. When you discover yours, everything, your entire work-life- and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begins to make sense. Until you know yours, you’re kind of fumbling in the dark.

More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Website

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Connect with Jonathan Fields on LinkedIn.

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