Hold that thought!
Think once before you act, twice before you speak and thrice before you write
So what?
When you pause before you act, speak and write, you will:
- Feel better about yourself;
- Have less regret that drags you down;
- Inspire others; and
- Be heard.
You know why it’s important
There are endless amount of books and quotes about listening more and speaking less. It applies to all facets of life – whether you are having a date night with your partner, listening to your friend complain about her boss or asking your boss for a raise. You know why listening more and speaking less is one of the most valuable soft skills to have. Nevertheless, I find this to be the hardest as simple as it sounds to do.
Words become seeds
One thing I want to emphasize is that spoken and written words become seeds. That’s why speaking and writing comes after acting. Yes – acting can have a detrimental impact but you are kind-hearted and have good intentions to act in that manner.
These seedlings sprout and grow. Something as small as a mustard seed can grow to be one of the biggest trees in the world.
It will take practice
As simple as it sounds, you will need to practice to listen more and speaking less. Your first reaction to any conversation will be to voice your opinion, defend yourself or argue your point. After all, you live in a free society. You have the free will to speak more and listen less.
You also have the free will to be heard and make a difference. As we discuss in our previous post on less is more, what you say will be meaningful and impactful when you restrain yourself from blabbering.
My experience
This is something I work on everyday. It’s critical enough to get my wife’s help on this. I have the tendency to blabber. My wife gives me “the look” when I start to talk, without making a point. And I love her for it. It bothered me at first but I’ve come to realise that she’s doing it to make me a better person. Thank you, Wife!
What now?
Next time you’re about to say something, don’t say it. Come back to it. If you remember it again, say it.