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Paradigms: Your lens on life

Mind-Gap were delivering some training yesterday based on Covey’s 7 Habits. As part of Covey’s introduction to the 7 Habits, he talks about how we each view the world – what he calls ‘our Paradigms’.

Paradigms are frameworks that shape our understanding of the world, influencing our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. The lens through which we see the work and make sense of it. Paradigms play a crucial role in our conscious or unconscious bias, our cultural norms, and in how we solve problems. Paradigms are sets of assumptions, concepts, and practices that form coherent frameworks within fields of study or society. They provide a shared understanding and language within a domain. Paradigms can be found in sciences, philosophy, politics, and culture.

The point here is that these paradigms shape all that we are and everything we do. “We think we see the world as it is, when in fact we see the world as we are.” Covey suggests.

Paradigms are there whether you choose to recognise them or not! We ARE shaped by circumstances, upbringing, opinions etc. The challenge is to lean into what they are for you and take time to reflect on their worth – or not! Some paradigms are helpful in the shaping of cultural norms or acceptable behaviours. Some are not beneficial: negative or self-delusional thinking shaped by our beliefs in ourselves.

So, back to our training yesterday (some pics below):

What are your paradigms: The lenses through which you view life?

Where do they come from? Upbringing, life events, learning in your life?

Are they helping you or hindering you?

Remember, as Covey says: “If you want small changes, work on your behaviour; if you want quantum-leap changes, work on your paradigms.”

Resources:

A video on Paradigms

Kuhn’s view on Paradigms

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