When you think of 30 days of saying Yes, it might initially sound overwhelming, but hear me out.
It’s not about saying Yes to everything; it’s about intentionally saying Yes to the things that hold you back or keep you stuck…saying Yes to the things you want.
You feel maxed out, stress out, and burned out, so you might be saying Yes too often and to the wrong things. And when you feel any of these ways, you tend to take fun out of your days, when it’s actually one of the things you need to combat those exact things.
My nine-year-old son, B, and I went on a summer vacation this year. It was 30 days in Europe, and we added a twist to it.
It was my son’s first time traveling internationally, and I wanted us to be able to explore and do things we wouldn’t typically do.
So, we established a rule of saying Yes.
When our first response would have been No, we said Yes instead, and some really cool things happened.
1. Change of perspective—It’s easy to get stuck doing the same things in the same ways. When we said Yes to traveling to four countries in a month, we were able to experience life in different ways. We talked to people whether they were dining next to us or sitting by us on trains and planes, or in lines. We tried local foods, never knowing if we would like it or not. We had to navigate our way around cities, whether it was finding a toilet, a bus stop, or common language. When you change your perspective, you’re able to embrace diversity, including people and ideas easier.
2. More encouragement—B and I went cliff jumping in Croatia. Well, off a small cliff. We did it together the first time. Then I decided to do it again by myself. Before I jumped off, the negative thoughts immediately took over. B said to me, “Mama, no negative thoughts. You got this. Be brave.” This encouragement is exactly what I needed to help me jump. We encouraged each other. When the other felt hesitant in doing something, we cheered them on to walk through their fears. Even if you’re doing something alone, be that cheerleader and encourager for yourself. As B says in one of his motivational speeches, “You got this. You can do it. I believe in you. Everyone believes in you.” Which leads us to the next one…
3. Belief in yourself—The more you say Yes, the more you’ll want to continue to say Yes. The ocean water was cold. It was freezing, so for a while, I was on the beach watching B play in the water. Then I walked in the water just to get my feet wet. I stood there for a few minutes, tempted to get out of the water. Then I told myself, it’s all about being courageous. Be brave, Jessica. So, I walked a little more into the water. Then more. Even though it was freezing, I wouldn’t allow myself to get out. I spent the time in the water, cold, and being present with my son. The more you say Yes in facing being uncomfortable, uncertain or scared, the more you’ll believe in yourself that you can keep doing it. And you WILL keep doing it.
4. Leading others—When we went to a glass blowing demonstration in Venice, we didn’t know what to expect. We were one of the first people off the boat and were guided into the demonstration hall. B and I sat on a bench, that was only big enough for 10 people. We watched two men at the far side working making new glass pieces. As more people came into the hall, the small place was getting crowded. I suggested to B for us to go over by those men, so we could watch them before everything started. He was hesitant. I then led us to the other side and watch the men in action. It was fascinating to watch it go from a small round blob to a stunningly beautiful glass to drink from. One of the men kept smiling at us and gave B a small gift of blown glass. We were more intrigued with these two men then with the demonstration which had started at this point. The demonstration ended and we were still there with the two men. They motioned for B to come sit down, where they invited B to help them blow another glass. It was amazing to watch this take place and B help them make the drinking glass. Although B initially was unsure about going to this side of the hall, he was so glad he did, because if we would’ve stayed on that bench, we would have never had this incredible one-of-a-kind experience.
There may be people who are hesitant or unsure, and sometimes it takes you leading them to see the possibilities or opportunities in store. In doing that, you change everything for them and for yourself as a leader.
5. Laughing more—Whether it was saying Yes to riding an electric scooter in front of the Colosseum, being on the back of the jet ski while my son drove it faster than I did (he did 36 mph and I did 35), fighting B during our Gladiator lessons, us jumping in the air in front of Rector’s Palace, or eating gelato every night trying to consume it faster than it melted, laughing was surely the best thing…and it’s the best thing you can do whether you want to enjoy life more or are experiencing burnout. You can find these moments and times in your every day life, while watching your children play, having a much-needed conversation with your BFF, or going on a walk. Find those moments of joy, fun and laughter every single day.
There are opportunities that surround you daily. Many times, you find yourself saying No to them. No because I can’t. No because it didn’t work out last time. No because I don’t have the time, money, or knowledge. No because I don’t know how. No because it won’t be perfect. No because…..
Instead of saying No, what would happen if you said Yes?
Yes to being present
Yes to laughing more
Yes to having fun
Yes to adventures
Yes to relaxing
Yes to exploring
Yes to travel
Yes to you
Yes to whatever it is you’ve been putting off for far too long.
You’ll open yourself to possibilities. You’ll eradicate those limiting beliefs and expand your life in ways you can’t even imagine. You’ll step into something so much grander than you ever thought possible.
You don’t have to travel to start saying Yes to what’s in front of you.
How can you start your 30-day journey of saying Yes…or a 7-day journey of Yes….
It’ll change your life, just like it did ours!
ABOUT JESSICA:
Jessica Rector’s mission is simple: transform lives and eradicate burnout. Jessica is the CEO and Founder of Blaze Your Brain, BlazeYourBrain.com. whose mission is simple: help you take care of your whole self so you can show up as your best, amazing self.
When Jessica’s older brother died by suicide she vowed to help others truly live, and she does by partnering with organizations to eradicate burnout and enhance mental health in their people.
As a well-being company, Blaze Your Brain has created a people-centric movement, working with organizations who recognize their people are their best asset and want to invest in their well-being, because when they do everyone succeeds.
We use our proprietary research, frameworks and systems to help individuals, teams, and leaders take care of themselves so they can keep taking care of work, parenting, tasks, activities…what we call life.
Some of our clients include Scotiabank, NBCUniversal, the Dallas Mavericks, and Fortune’s #2 Best Company to Work For.
We have been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX for creating change. Get Jessica’s recent book, Blaze Your Brain to Extinguish Burnout: 52 Tip to Prevent, Break Through and Eliminate Burnout at jessicarector.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn by CLICKING HERE.
