Power of Saying Yes
Nearly every time in my life that I've dared to say "yes," I've never regretted it. Saying "yes" empowers us, reduces our fear of the unknown, and leads us on a path of exploration and wonder.
I'm the type of person that enjoys analyzing every angle of every decision. I write the pros and cons and evaluate most of my decisions' benefits, risks, rewards, and impact. This process has led me to say "yes" to many exciting, life-changing, and rewarding experiences.
I’ve also had several instances where I’ve said “yes” simply for the sake of saying “yes.” Some of these are the experiences that I’ve cherished the most.
Nearly 20 years ago, I was on a business trip to San Francisco, and I felt compelled to move there. Without much of a plan, my husband, our Cocker Spaniel, Maggie, and I embarked on a journey to "try it out." Today, we still love living in the San Francisco bay area. We are raising our three incredible boys surrounded by a wonderfully supportive community with whom we've discovered many opportunities to say "yes."
Or, how about the time I decided to bike 575 miles from Missoula to Billings, Montana. When I decided, I didn't even own a bike and was terrified of the clip-in cycling shoes critical to crossing the Continental Divide. Why would I go through the trouble to endure windstorms, brave temperatures ranging from 32 to 98 degrees, and sleep in dust and mud as part of a seven-day, 575-mile trek? Why Not?
Recently, I decided to pursue a passion project. Prior to starting I was consumed with analyzing all the angles some of which included viability, strategy, start-up costs, marketing, branding, scale, and other challenges. These are the reasons why a lot of new ideas don't even get off the ground. We tend to focus on the obstacles and how it's challenging to overcome them. Instead, I chose to start small and remained focused on getting started and saying "yes" to each challenge and embrace test, learn, iterate as a mechanism for working through each micro goal and saying "yes" to my overall dream of pursuing this passion project.
5 Reasons Why You Should Say "YES" More Often
1. Opens new opportunities
Saying yes will move you out of your comfort zone, and you will adopt a growth mindset and lead with curiosity. Even if you don't know exactly how to pursue that new opportunity, by saying "yes," you will challenge yourself in new and exciting ways. It's ok to learn as you go.
2. Creates collaboration and connection
Think about improvisational comedy where the whole tenet starts with "yes" followed by "and." On stage, without any advanced warning, you are asked to embrace, work with, and build upon each scene. When we say "yes" in life, we get the gift of collaboration, feedback, and new partnerships.
3. Empowers others
As a leader, when we say "yes" to an idea, we ignite our teams and show that we trust them. Our teams are empowered to lead with courage and creativity and ultimately think more broadly about solving challenges.
4. Deepens knowledge through test, learn, and iterate
Testing or trying out a new idea, concept, or approach is where we learn the most. If we say "no," we've robbed ourselves of the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop.
5. Life is more fun when we say "yes."
You don't have to start by saying "yes" to everything. Maybe pick a "yes" at home with your children or say "yes" to pursuing a hobby. Say "yes" to the things that you once loved. Say 'yes" to meeting someone new. Eventually, these little "yesses" add up to more meaningful opportunities and a life filled with joy!
What will you say "yes" to today?