Fall weather energizes us to do what we’ve been putting off. Our first cool fronts of the Fall blew through last week. In October on the Gulf Coast, “cool” can mean daily highs in the low 80s or upper 70s (as opposed to 90s). But the second front gave us a low in the 50s.
Energized to Catch Up
A spurt of energy to catch up on things I’ve been putting off arrived with the fronts. (I have a tee shirt that reads: “Procrastination flow chart > Do something right now > No.”) I spent several “cool” hours setting up put-off appointments that are important, but not urgent, such as a dental check up. Next day, I woke with lots of ideas for my book in progress, and what’s more, I actually feel like doing some chores and walking for exercise, instead of dragging myself to the gym as I do in hot weather. Now I can comfortably enjoy my balcony for the first time since early spring.
I’m even getting a bigger kick out of using the persuasion skills I teach. In short, I’m energized to spring into Fall.
Use Your Fall Energy to Practice Persuasion
I hope that cooler weather is energizing you all as well. Perhaps, you’ve been meaning to do one of the “Try This” persuasion exercises in my book Bridges to Consensus. Why not put it on your schedule? Or perhaps the books showed you a persuasion skill you’ve been meaning to practice in real life, but haven’t. Let’s say it’s paraphrasing. Think of a time tomorrow when you will be conversing with someone, perhaps at lunch. Make a reminder to paraphrase three things the person says.
You don’t have to wait for a time when you’re trying to persuade the other person of something. Indeed, you shouldn’t wait. The skills are counterintuitive. If you practice paraphrasing non-controversial statements, you will be more likely to call up that skill when you want to persuade or build consensus. Meanwhile, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at your coworkers’ positive reactions when you prove you understood them.
Energy Encourages Me to Ask
My friend Catherine Onyemelukwe posted another energizing Fall idea for me in her latest blog. I had known that books that get 60 or more reviews on Amazon are more likely to attract the attention of people who publish book reviews or blog about books, even if some of the reviews are negative. The nature of the reviews is irrelevant. Sixty is the magic number.
Catherine researched ways to draw more reviews and showed me that the best way is simply to ask for them, which she did in her latest blog post. I had already reviewed her first book, Nigeria Revisited, on Amazon, and I’m glad that she sparked my intention to now review her second book, Breaking Kola, which I’m in the process of reading.
I had long thought of asking my blog followers to post Amazon reviews, but hesitated. Catherine not only sparked my energy, she indirectly encouraged me. So, like Catherine, I’m asking: if you have read Bridges to Consensus, please consider reviewing it on this Amazon page. Just scroll down to “Customer Reviews,” click “Write a Review,” and enter your comments. Likewise, to review Love on the Rocks with a Twist–Delightful Fiction with Lessons on Dealing with Others, go to this Amazon page.
See you next time. Meanwhile, enjoy the energizing cool weather!