Reiterations

“Repetition, plus restatement, gets people to remember,” David Brooks, a communication expert and the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking, said at a Toastmasters District training I attended many years ago. Mr. Brooks shared his expertise on how to give better presentations using the elements of eloquence in public speaking. It is a memorable phrase and illustrates excellent writing skills using alliteration to help the audience listen with clarity. I have shared this quote often to demonstrate how repeating something over and over helps people to connect with an idea. Like giving a dozen roses says I love you twelve times, our minds are wired in a way to see patterns which connect us to the idea of repetition, restatement, and remembering. Repetition. I often find this helps me in other aspects of my life. When I challenge myself to learn a new skill or improve an existing one, I repeat the skill over and over. Persistence is repeating something until you get as close to mastery as possible. Notice, I did not say perfection. That’s an idea which confuses people into thinking they must be perfect, knowing that perfection is likely unattainable. Continuous improvement is a better way to look at outcomes. Writing is a skill I continually work on and practice, often in frustration especially when the words are there yet I have trouble placing them in an order to make sense. Yet, I persist. Restatement. If you have children, or know children, or act like a child, you will understand this concept. Have you ever told a child not to do something? Don’t run with a knife. Don’t act out. Don’t cross the street without looking both ways. You have most likely said it so many times you seek ways to restate it in a more impactful way. Screaming and yelling to get attention will work, yet it sends a negative message. Granted, it is sometimes necessary. However, restating in a positive manner works more effectively and is better for all parties involved. Here are those phrases restated. Walk slowly to the table with the knife by your side. When you feel angry count to five before you respond. When you cross the street look to your right and left to see if any cars are coming; only then move forward. Remember. Memories are those little mind excursions which help one relive experiences and keep in the forefront those stories that shape who we have become. Such as family reunions or a gathering of old school friends, all the stories are dusted off and repeated to relive those “good ole’ days.” Remembering is also like the many cycles that are part of our lives. There are the seasonal cycles. Winter is followed by Spring, which is followed by Summer, which is followed by Fall. I am certain of that. There is the business cycle of booms and busts. There are geologic cycles in forming and breaking down the Earth. There are astronomical cycles with equinoxes. There are hundreds of different cycles which have a beginning, middle, and end. In the Torah, the five books of the Hebrew Bible, after the final portion of Deuteronomy is read, the beginning of the Torah is started once more with the reading of Genesis. This continual reading is a tradition that reminds Jews you can never finish studying and there is always something new to learn. There is life itself. As this year closes and we enter another, we reflect. We set new goals for the year, perhaps the next few years, and we commit to going forward. We try dieting, going to the gym, writing every day. Some succeed, many don’t. Why is this? Perhaps it’s a lack of persistence, determination, support, or a positive mindset. There are many excuses yet acting is the only way change will happen. You will have missteps and lapses in your new commitment. Just start over until your new dream, your new skill, your new vision, becomes a routine habit. Give yourself 30 consecutive days. Celebrate that milestone. Then, commit to another 30 days. Rinse and repeat. Failure will happen and it is OK. It’s when you don’t get back to your goal, your plan, or your commitment, you miss the opportunities in front of you. We live in the greatest of times, in the greatest country, and today is your greatest day to act and prove it so. Reiteration is the cycle that leads to continuous improvement. Wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year of success? https://kimmonson.com/kim_monson_show/cdphe-proposes-vaccine-rule-changes-for-online-students-and-natural-immunity/

What Are You Certain Of?

During the Wuhan virus lockdowns, I became an active participant in Jeffrey Gitomer’s 9:59 club, a virtual gathering of people from around the globe. Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker, and business trainer who instructs on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. Every day, seven days a week, for over two years hundreds of people met on social media to engage with Gitomer to keep their motivation and spirits up. Daily messages of hope, inspiration, and ideas for business would be discussed. Gitomer would riff on a topic and then participants would post their thoughts, comments, or quotes which he would read and discuss. Humor and stories congealed the group. What started as an experiment grew into a community. Toru would check in from Japan every day at midnight local time. We would hear from Joachim from Hell, Norway, or Thomas from Sweden, or Randall from Trinidad, and businesspeople and entrepreneurs who were socially apart, yet gathered. The experience was as close to anything I have ever been addicted to. The daily challenges of like-minded people grew into a deeper commitment as many 9:59’ers became members of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Insiders Club and the Colorado members created a local Mastermind Group. Several times a month a special guest would present on a topic and other times Gitomer would present a Masterclass on some business idea. The information, insights, and wisdom were beyond their cost and are invaluable to my continued personal development. During one conversation Gitomer hosted guest Daniel Burris, an expert on leadership and the future. Burris said something profound, “In times of uncertainty, document what you’re certain of.” As he continued talking Gitomer stopped the conversation and had Burrus repeat those words. The dialog that followed was deeply impactful. I wrote Burrus’s words down and after the presentation I started to reflect on those things I was certain of. Flowing from my pen were words that first trickled, then became a torrent of writing about people, ideas, and concepts that ran swiftly from my mind to hand to paper. The family I could count on, friends who I trusted, and those closest who had my back were documented. Truths and virtues that I knew for certain were documented. First principles that are known as exceptional were documented. This exercise grounded my thinking and left much less room for doubt and uncertainty. The daily crisis that was propagated as news was less important because I had a certainty, clarity and understanding of how information and messaging were being created to keep fear in the forefront of our minds. The exercise of documenting those things I was certain of helped me keep my optimistic point of view. After the midterm elections in Colorado, I did this same exercise of reflecting on those certainties. I posted the Burrus quote on my social media platforms and had the honor of the author “like” and retweet his quote with my photo of a beautiful “tequila sunrise’ silhouetting an old oak tree near my house. After what felt like a gut punch on election night had become a reminder of those people, concepts and ideas that are more important than one election. The sun did rise the next morning. My daily routine of walking, reading, writing, preparing, thinking, and creating continued. My phone still rang, and I received orders from customers. I spoke to family and my wonderful wife who continued to be the supporting and loving person she is. By documenting all these things, I realized we are greater for having gone through the gauntlet and come out the other side, a bit scathed but present. There is an old myth of an ordinary bird whose feathers were mundane, yet after she flew too close to a fire, scorched her plum and turned into the most beautiful colors of blue, yellow, and red. The story informs us how the primary colors were created by the experiences of life. Those colors form the basis of all other colors. Those words of Daniel Burrus are worth repeating. “In times of uncertainty, document what you’re certain of.” They form the basis of our certainty. https://kimmonson.com/featured_articles/what-are-you-certain-of/?vgo_ee=1zUhdOyo%2Bv%2FkRmfh0RP872QOP8ZXmRzMvz3Yw%2BcA7gI%3D