From B and I picking out each other’s outfits (no opinion or veto) to a 24-hour Vow of Silence to Dyeing my hair blue (hint: it didn’t go as planned), this week was full of lessons, especially around communication.
Imagine having your 12-year-old son pick out your outfit to wear for Mother’s Day date night from a thrift store. You have no say, no opinion, and no veto. You have to accept whatever they choose. Or being the 12-year old and having your mom pick out your outfit. Will it be cringe-worthy?!
Or dyeing your red hair a dramatic color, blue, and the shop employee telling you it would turn purple and you think, “Let’s go,” just to find out it didn’t end up at all what you were expecting.
Or taking a 24-hour Vow of Silence (big ask for a professional speaker). Can you imagine not talking, texting or emailing for 24 hours? Then to find out it’s really more than that.
Those are a few of the Say Yes Experiences I had this week, and boy, were there some big lessons involved.
Some of them are:
* Decisions aren’t final. Don’t stay in indecisive mode-this will keep your stagnant and paralyzed. Make a decision already, because you can always change to something else next
* No one is really paying attention to you as much as you think they are. As we left the car walking into the restaurant, B was embarrassed. As a kid who always wears athletic clothes and his hair forward (hanging right above his eyes), wearing a long sleeve button down shirt and tie dye shirt and his hair back left him feeling very uncomfortable. I mentioned no one will even be paying attention, especially standing next to my amazing outfit 🙂 We think people are paying attention to us. Even if they do for a minute, they go back to their own thoughts and lives quickly. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in other’s opinions. Keep being you!
* You never realize how much you have to say until you can’t say it. Imagine 24 hours of silence. No talking, texting, emailing, phone conversations. No humming, singing out loud to yourself or asking Alexa the temperature or time. Literally every thought, idea or opinion, you have to keep inside your head. It was challenging, especially when you have a B man and a Shadow Brother (dog). I would try to gesture to B to get my point across, and he would have no idea what I was trying to say (you should see the video). It could be frustrating, because I knew exactly what I was saying, why didn’t he?!
How many times have you experienced miscommunication, because you thought someone said something they didn’t mean or someone misunderstood what you were saying? This happens all the time, even when we can talk.
Communication breakdowns lead to conflict, stress, and negativity. Listening and patience can improve communication and team dynamic. The biggest help with communication is clarification, but so many people do it. Try this next time you’re in a conversation, “What I hear you saying is this,” and then repeat it to them.
This gives them the opportunity to make any corrections, so you’re on the same page moving forward.
What measure can you and your team take to better communicate?
I want to hear from you…what have you Said Yes to this week that stretched you?
Growth, professionally and personally, only comes from you doing something new, and in the process, you’ll build your confidence.
Think your team or company could use help with growth, resilience or performance? Reach out at Jessica@JessicaRector.com, I’d love to connect about your next meeting, event or Conference.
In the meantime, keeping stretching yourself and Saying Yes!
ABOUT JESSICA:
Jessica Rector is on a mission to help others truly live.
CEO of The Say Yes Experience and Founder of Burnoutable, the first comprehensive SaaS platform to prevent and end burnout, Jessica empowers you to get out of your comfort zone and into possibilities, so you can break through burnout and tackle your negative thoughts to turn them into positive action and bigger outcomes!
Through our research, we consult with companies and train teams to create a culture that no one wants to leave by enhancing mental wellness and preventing burnout. They have worked with clients such as Scotiabank, NBCUniversal, the Dallas Mavericks, and Fortune’s #2 “Best Company to work for.”
As a #1 best-selling author of 12 books, Jessica has been interviewed on NBC for her research and work on burnout. As an HR.com Future of Employee Well-Being Advisory Board Member, Jessica helps to change the conversation around burnout and mental health with senior leaders and executives.
When she is not traveling around the world for work, Jessica enjoys creating more Say Yes experiences, while learning about the exciting world of Transformers, so she can carry on real conversations with her CFO, Chief Fun Officer, her twelve-year-old son, Blaise, who is also a #1 best-seller author and the youngest published author in the United States.
Get Jessica’s recent books, The Say Yes Experience: 52 tips to Prevent Burnout and Enhance Your Mental Health and 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.
