Talk Like a Champion: Elevating Everyday Dialogue
A few weeks ago, my message shared a story about what frozen waffles taught my husband and I about communication. Last week, I shared a story about spaghetti sauce and peanut butter.
Why such simple, everyday items like these to demonstrate important lessons around communication?
Before I answer that question, let me switch to something seemingly unrelated, but it isn’t. Which, in a few moments, I’ll demonstrate.
Not long ago, the super bowl was played. In a few short months, athletes will compete in the summer Olympics. Even sooner than the Olympics, the NHL playoffs begin in April. The 2024 NASCAR season started this past Sunday in Daytona. And one of my mom’s favorites, NCAA March Madness will soon be in full swing.
It doesn’t matter what your choice of sport watching is, there’s something for you. But, even if you’re not a sports fan at all, there’s something we can all agree on.
These athletes didn’t come into a stadium and become high caliber athletes during their event. They didn’t become champions on that day, last week, or even last year. They became champions because they started when they were young. And they started with the simplest of activities. A somersault for a gymnast, a throw of a few yards for a quarterback, or the first wobbly, forward skating of a hockey star.
Then, on the foundation of the simplest of skills, they practiced. With practice they moved on to a cartwheel or a longer throw. And then they practiced more. They advanced their skills and practiced more. Until one day they were the best in their sport. And then?
They practiced more.
The thing they didn’t do was say, “I think I want to be a champion and then easily slide into a trophy raising position.”
It is the same for elevating and mastering communication whether it’s in your personal life or your business interactions.
When you aren’t able to communicate in simple, everyday scenarios, you will also struggle when the topics get more difficult. Or when the people you’re interacting with seem intimidating, short-fused, or controlling. Or when you’re surprised by someone’s reaction, and you need well-practiced skills to rely on.
If you want to learn to strengthen your communication skills regardless of the personal or professional scenarios you find yourself in, begin with small steps. Begin with spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, or frozen waffles. So, when the topic becomes life insurance, parenting, or how to interact with a new demanding client, your skills, like a champion athlete, will be ready for the big game.
In life, it is often heard, “This is as good as it gets.” But it’s not as good as it gets. It’s as good as you choose it to be.
Which is a whole lot better when you start small.
And practice.