Listen More. Roll Eyes Less.

In our series on Trash – The Things We’re Leaving Behind in 2023, Karen shares how she’s letting go of stress.

By Karen Hansel

I glanced up above my laptop and my eyes landed on the sticker.

I smiled. It stood out like a beacon today, daring me to look away. Its place on my wall is in between a whiteboard, a BD lifecycle roadmap, various quotes, and odds and ends. Yet my eyes went right to it. The last sentence in particular provided a kick in the pants for me today as things got intense around the hard copy production of an RFP response.

I read it, stepped back and reflected. Not everyone works in proposals as a full-time job or has the same standards or definitions of quality, time management, and delivery of tasks. Sometimes even when expectations are set and agreed upon, things just fall short within the team, within myself and I just have to deal with it [insert loud exhale here.]

So…I paused, reset, and followed the “instructions” from the sticker.

• I stood up and danced in my home office like no one was watching (because really, no one was!).
• I took an onion from my refrigerator that needed to be dealt with, walked outside, got some dirt, and planted it in a little cup.
• I took a deep breath and exhaled, blowing out all the malarkey within myself.

All I can do is manage myself and my reaction to those people, places, and things that make up proposals and their production. This perspective almost slipped away from me today. The “busy” and impatience almost won, almost caused unnecessary stress on myself and my team.  

This is the year to listen more and roll my eyes less… even while not on camera for video meetings. Wish me luck!

For reference, the sticker: