Say,YES. Save Time.

I talk about inspiration and creativity a lot. I talk about how using "Yes And" in the ideation process will help you and your team find a solution that may have not been discovered if the common language is "NO" or "Yes But." 

My " aha" moment with using forward thinking language like, "Yes And" was in graduate school where we would often devise our own performance work with a small team of people. I noticed that if we allowed each person to show their inspired work to the group in its totality that we actually got more done. We didn't use everything that was shown, but we were most definitely inspired by what we saw which lead to a solid, enjoyable and beautiful piece of performance. 

In our day-to-day grind we often say, "no" in order to save time. Or we say, "no" because we think we know what the person is going to say.  The actual word itself, NO may not be used or voiced in our moments of relentless impatience, but often, our body language or the way we react to something does. 

I am convinced that by saying "yes," we actually save time. By listening to someones entire thought, we actually save time. Ask yourself this? Have you had that interaction with a co-worker or direct report where you had to circle back later because you missed something he/she said or something was left out during a meeting or within a project? If so, here are some inspired suggestions on how to save time:

1. Be Present

Sound easy? Well, it's not. Being present takes practice and so here I am encouraging to do whatever you need to do to get this Zen-like mojo into your daily routine.  Meditate, take a Yoga class, listen more and listen better, feel the floor beneath your feet, smell the fresh-free air outside, BREATHE!

2. Try saying "YES!"

I know, you can't say yes to everything, but you can start by saying yes to listening. Furthermore, if you have that person in your life who has no clue how to pick-up on the social cues and the solution to walk away or say "no" is the easiest way to avoid the looping conversation, then I say, say "yes" to having the hard/ fearless conversations----that person deserves to know that they ramble on and on.

3. Allow space for inspiration

Step away from your laptop, go outside, draw a picture at your desk, imagine your co-worker with a different hair-style, make your lunch at work...whatever you do, do something creative everyday. Inspire yourself. Breathe life into your day-to-day routines.

Thanks for reading and let me know how a little more Yes in your life feels.