Yes, AND ...

See if this sounds familiar – you are at a crossroads and just don’t know which way to go. It may not even matter if the choice is big or

small. What matters is that you are at a standstill, debating with yourself about what do.

All too often, I see that hesitation in my clients (and in myself, too if I’m honest) when making a decision, or following a dream. That “not-saying” yes place. Wanting to say yes, but …

Truth is,  as Jarod Kintz reminds us, “There are an infinite number of reasons to say no. Instead, try to focus on one good reason to say yes.”

Which brings us to the idea of YES, and. Yes, and… is an improv game, and it goes pretty much like it sounds.  It works great for writers, building a business, and pretty much anything else.  In fact, it’s now even being used in corporate training and team building. We are so used to saying something like “Well, YES, but…”  and then showing all reasons something won’t work. For example:

YOU: “I want to give a TED Talk.”

INNER CRITIC: “Well, YES, BUT what do you know about giving a TED talk? You (Add your inner critic message here) suck as a writer and a speaker, not to mention you know nothing about how to do a TED Talk, remember?”

Ouch! What a great way to shut down a creative idea before it even gets off the ground.  With Yes, and… let’s build from that unlikely beginning:

YOU: “I want to give a TED Talk.”

INNER CRITIC: “Well, YES, BUT what do you know about giving a TED talk? You (Add your inner critic message here) suck as a writer and a speaker, not to mention you know nothing about how to do a TED Talk, remember?”

YOU: “Yes, AND I can always learn and grow as a writer and a speaker while I find my creative voice, and figure out the whole TED Talk thing. I have something important I want to share with the world, and I know can make it happen.”

Big difference, right?

There is so much power in YES. Steven Pressfield sums it up beautifully in his book, Do the Work:

“The Answer is Always Yes. When an idea pops into our head and we think, “No, this is too crazy,”  …that’s the idea we want.

When we think, “this notion is completely off the wall… should I even take the time to work on this?” … the answer is yes.

Never doubt the soup. Never say no. The answer is always yes.”

Your turn, OK? What is one thing you can say YES, and… to today?