Dear LYTERS 

I believe that everything in life is a double-edged sword  . Meaning every strength comes with its own set of weaknesses.

I am extremely good on my feet. I am talented with improv 🎭. But I am also aware that this means I can make rash decisions too quickly without thinking through the execution. I am aware that my ability (and love) to move and change quickly can sometimes give others whiplash.

To use one of my favorite analogies, I’m driving down the highway 🛣️ with 4 cars full of friends following my lead 🚙🚗🚗🚗🚗. We’re all going to the same location and no one is using GPS - no need! We’ll stay close and that’ll be enough.

One minute we’re in the fast lane in an organized line, one right after the other, the next, I’ve noticed that we need to take the next exit, and now I’m trying to hop over 6 lanes of traffic without a turn signal.

I’ve made it over with no problem (kinda exhilarating actually) but the cars behind me have toppled over and look like a scene from Armageddon 💣🤯💥. And I’m looking behind me going, “I yelled EXIT!!!”

One of the tactics that I have learned and recently adopted to manage the downside of this strength is to “crockpot” 👩🏼‍🍳 an idea.

Crockpotting 👩🏼‍🍳 is the action of letting things sit - allowing time and space to go by so that the conscious and subconscious can marinate on an idea. It allows you the time to ask questions, get the right people in the room to help you work through the pros and cons, or simply sleep on an idea to make sure you wake up with the same initial response.

Some ideas and strategies are good out of the flash fryer. And some you need time to let them marinate. When you’re the CEO of a company, every comment you make comes out of a bullhorn 📢, and this can be dangerous if you’re in a habit of thinking out loud or making decisions too quickly.

When I hear an idea or strategy, you’ll find me saying “Let me crockpot 👩🏼‍🍳 that until this date.” This signals that I’m not only taking the ideas seriously, it also tells the other person that you will have an answer and here’s the due date. I’m not stalling. I’m being strategic. And your idea matters.

What strength of yours comes with its own set of weaknesses? Any area in your life that needs a little bit of crockpotting?

LYTE it up,