The Power of Patterns: How the Way You Do One Thing is the Way You Do Everything
We all have patterns of behavior that shape the way we approach life. These patterns aren’t just random; they are often deeply ingrained ways of responding to challenges, risks, and feedback.
The way you approach one task can reveal a lot about how you approach every aspect of your life. This realization is one that I often bring to light with my clients through a powerful exercise I call the crayon exercise. It may sound simple, but it offers profound insights into a person’s mindset and how they handle obstacles and growth opportunities.
The Crayon Exercise: A Mirror to Your Life
The crayon exercise involves arranging crayons in a specific pattern to achieve a particular end goal. The task may seem straightforward, but there's a catch: you’re only allowed to remove a limited number of crayons at certain points to create the final figure. The exercise tests decision-making, strategy, and problem-solving under a set of constraints.
And while it’s just crayons, the way a person approaches it often mirrors how they approach the challenges they face in everyday life.
Some clients panic when asked to complete the exercise, unsure of where to start or how to approach the task. They might freeze up, unable to take action, or overthink every step. Others become overwhelmed by the need to follow specific rules and might seek constant reassurance, asking for help or guidance at every turn. And then, there are those who jump in with confidence, rearranging the crayons quickly and decisively, without needing any external validation or support.
How Your Approach to the Crayon Exercise Reflects Your Patterns in Life
What I’ve found in using the crayon exercise is that how people respond to this seemingly simple task often mirrors how they approach much more significant challenges. Let’s break it down:
Playing It Safe: If you find yourself playing it safe in the crayon exercise—hesitating, seeking constant reassurance, or overthinking your moves—chances are, you do the same in other areas of your life. You may avoid taking risks at work or in your personal relationships, opting to stick to what you know rather than stepping into unknown territory. While this might seem like a safe strategy, it can ultimately prevent you from growing and reaching your full potential. Playing it safe limits your opportunities and keeps you from discovering what you're truly capable of.
Taking Risks: On the other hand, if you’re someone who is willing to make bold moves and try new strategies, even in the face of uncertainty, you’re likely the type who embraces risks in other areas of life as well. This doesn’t mean being reckless, but rather being willing to step outside your comfort zone, knowing that growth often happens when you take calculated risks. Those who embrace risks in the crayon exercise, and in life, tend to experience greater personal and professional growth. They're not afraid to make mistakes, but rather see them as opportunities to learn and improve.
Reacting to Feedback: The crayon exercise is also an opportunity to observe how someone handles feedback. In the exercise, I provide guidance as needed, and some clients are quick to ask questions or seek reassurance, while others may shut down or become frustrated with the process. The way they handle this feedback often reflects their approach to feedback in other aspects of life. Those who take feedback as a chance to learn and improve are the ones who experience the most significant transformations. They understand that feedback is not criticism but valuable information that helps them adjust and grow. The people who thrive in life are those who can reframe feedback and see it as a gift—an opportunity to course-correct and get closer to their goals.
Why These Patterns Matter
Recognizing your patterns—whether in how you approach a simple crayon exercise or how you handle challenges in your career and personal life—can be incredibly eye-opening. The patterns you exhibit in small tasks often indicate how you handle larger, more complex situations. If you tend to play it safe, avoid risks, or shut down when faced with criticism, it’s important to recognize that these habits may be limiting your potential.
The key to real growth lies in being able to identify these patterns and choose to shift them. If you always play it safe, challenge yourself to take more risks, even in small ways. If you react defensively to feedback, practice reframing it as a tool for growth. These shifts won’t happen overnight, but with awareness and effort, you can transform how you approach life’s challenges.
Reframing Feedback: The Secret to Unlocking Growth
One of the most powerful ways to break free from limiting patterns is by learning to reframe feedback. In the crayon exercise, feedback is an integral part of the process. For those who can accept guidance without resistance, it’s a transformative experience. Similarly, in life, when you can take constructive criticism without taking it personally, you open the door to real growth.
The best results often come from those who can look at feedback not as judgment but as an opportunity to correct and improve. When you embrace feedback in this way, you position yourself to evolve continuously. This mindset shift is crucial for anyone who wants to thrive—whether in their career, personal relationships, or personal development journey.
How to Shift Your Patterns and Embrace Growth
To start shifting your patterns, begin by paying attention to how you respond to feedback, challenges, and risks. Ask yourself:
Do I hesitate to take action or avoid risks because I’m afraid of failing?
Do I seek constant reassurance when facing challenges, rather than trusting my own judgment?
How do I respond when I receive feedback—do I get defensive, or do I take it as a learning opportunity?
By becoming more aware of how you handle these situations, you can begin to shift your behavior and make more empowered decisions. Embrace risks, reframe feedback, and most importantly, trust yourself to navigate the unknown. Your growth depends on your willingness to step outside of your comfort zone, learn from your mistakes, and adjust along the way.
The Takeaway
The crayon exercise is just a small exercise, but it provides powerful insights into the deeper patterns that govern your life. How you handle challenges, risks, and feedback is directly linked to how you show up in every area of your life. If you can recognize these patterns, you can begin to shift them—unlocking your true potential and opening up new opportunities for growth.
Whether you’re looking to advance in your career, improve your relationships, or break through personal barriers, it all starts with recognizing your own patterns and making the conscious choice to grow. The way you do one thing is often the way you do everything. So, take a look at how you approach the crayon exercise, and ask yourself: What can I learn about my patterns, and how can I shift them to create the life I truly want?
Ready to Explore Your Patterns? Can a Simple Excercise Reveal all Your Major Blocks at Once?
It might sound surprising, but yes! A simple exercise involving crayons can unlock powerful insights about your behavior, mindset, and the patterns that shape your life.
This exercise isn't just about arranging crayons—it's a mirror to how you handle challenges, feedback, and risk in every area of your life. Curious to find out how?If this exercise has resonated with you, or if you’re curious about how your patterns might be impacting your life, I invite you to take the next step. Understanding how you approach challenges, feedback, and risks can be a game-changer in your personal and professional growth.
Book a Call with me to dive deeper into your unique patterns and how you can break through any limiting behaviors that are holding you back. Together, we’ll explore how to shift your mindset and unlock new opportunities for growth.
Don’t let the way you do one thing hold you back from doing everything you want. Let’s work together to transform your approach and help you achieve the success you deserve.
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