Have you ever read a book and felt like… “OMG! That’s it!” These type of books give me words to what is going on in my life… and help me change it. A book I read recently that impacted my life like this was “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. He has a very engaging writing style with many examples to explain his points. The “Leap” he talks about in his book is taking your life to the next level by overcoming your hidden fears. You do this by understanding your “zones”.
Hendricks has four zones: incompetence, competence, excellence, and genius. When I first saw the term “genius zone” I KNEW I was reading the right book! As you can probably imagine, the goal is to be in your genius zone as much as possible. Let me give you some personal examples of what these zones look like:
Incompetence Zone – Cars. As my husband can attest. They just are not my thing. I know what a Suburban is because my parents had about 7 while I was growing up. We currently own a Tahoe so I can probably pick those out too. Other than that, I’m lucky if I remember the color.
Competence Zone – When my four older boys were little and I was trying to cut every corner I could, I used to cut their hair. I became competent at it. I wasn’t great but I could do it without cutting off an ear or anything. I still cut my dad’s hair. Do I like it? Am I good at it? Absolutely not.
Excellence Zone – This is where my eyes were really opened. This is the danger zone. This is the zone you get complacent in. This is where everyone wants you to stay because you are good at it. But it also where you tend to stagnate. I am good at sewing and cooking. I am constantly asked to do this. I have consciously cut back on both.
Genius Zone – This is the zone where time feels like it stands still. I’ve felt it. It’s real. It is scary though. It isn’t comfortable. But, OMG, is it worth it! One of my zones of genius is public speaking. I was always, even into adulthood, one of those people that just didn’t say much. The thought of standing up in front of people and talking was NOT something I wanted to do. My last year of my bachelors I got a taste. I had to take a class where I was given the opportunity to talk about something I actually cared about. It was scary … but it felt good! I went on and got my masters so I could teach at the college level. That felt good too! Then I started a family and forgot about it. It wasn’t until my older boys were in their teens that I started speaking at conferences and doing trainings. I remembered how good it felt. And once I read Hendricks book, I figured out why.
I got so much out of this book that I based a presentation I did at the Transformational Education Conference on it. I would love to say it was a perfect expression of my zone of genius… but it was anything but. It did really teach me a lesson though.
I am one of the organizers of the Transformational Education Conference so I started the conference the night before setting up the venue. We held it in a church and in order for it to work, we had to totally rearrange every room. The next morning I got there early to continue setting up. I helped put up over 150 folding chairs. We had a last minute change and I had to figure that out. I had to help coordinate the vendors and make sure their needs were met. I was sweeping, moving things, fixing things. You name it, I had to do it. All of it in my zones of incompetence and competence. But what I was really looking forward to was speaking during my session. I had put myself in one of the less favorable time slots because I didn’t want anyone to feel like I had taken advantage of my position (they wouldn’t have). That actually turned out to be a blessing.
Very few people showed up to hear me talk. Which was good because I was so tired I couldn’t even stand. I hope I spoke semi-coherently. I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t. I had spent all my energy in my zone of competence, I didn’t have any left for my zone of genius.
What this experience taught me is the importance of protecting that zone. The genius zone is where I give my best self to the world. I share my genius. It is my way of making the world a better place. If I spend all of my time and energy in my other zones it doesn’t only impact me. It impacts everyone that I come in contact with.
So, what have I done with this information? Because when I fail at anything it isn’t a failure if I learn something from it and apply it. A few things. First, I hired my mom to do my laundry. Now, before you think what I know you are thinking, my mom LOVES doing laundry. And she is very good at it. She needed a little extra money and didn’t want me to just give her some so this was a win-win. I was able to take something off my zone of competence list and help my mom at the same time. Second, I hired my friend to make me a month of meals at a really busy time in my life. I love cooking but it is in my zone of excellence, not genius. It is my friend’s genius. Again, win-win.
This understanding of Hendrick’s zones has really changed my life. I look at everything and try and figure out which zone it is in. If it is in any zone but genius I think about if I can delegate it in some way. I try and spend as much time as possible in my genius zone. Am I there all the time? No. Am I in my zone of genius when I’m sitting with my husband watching TV or homeschooling our youngest son? Probably not. But spending that time with them helps me in different ways. And that is something for another post!
So, have you experienced your zone of genius? I’d love to hear your experience with it. Have your read a book that has impacted your life like this one impacted mine? I’m always looking for new books! Please share!