Most of us choose to react to things right away, such as feedback from a client. This isn't a good idea, especially when it comes to what we perceive as "negative feedback". Instead, we should stop ourselves and reflect on it before we react. In today's episode, we discuss something that many of us know we should do but don't always, and that is to reflect before we act.
You may want to snap to judgement or react to something but instead stop yourself and take six deep breathes. Sometimes it will even help you think more clearly if you just stop and breathe.
If you're frustrated, write out your thoughts and feelings on paper—I like to write them in my journal—that way you can get all of the negative thoughts out on paper and not in an email or slack message.
There are going to be moments where there is no good way to react or respond—even after an hour or a day—but it's important that you try not to burn bridges because you never know when it'll come to bite you in the butt later.
Over the years that I've been working as a freelancer, in-house, and as a studio owner, I've found myself jumping to conclusions on feedback I deemed negative or "uncalled for" only to reflect and review it later and see that I was wrong or I simply over reacted to it.
It takes a lot to admit that. It's not an easy thing to do either, but I've found many of us do it.
Whether it's with a client or even a loved one, the secret to any relationship is not to react to your first instinct but instead to give yourself some time and reflect on it. If it's an email, re-read it later when you've got a clearer head.
If you'd like to check out a blog post I wrote that discusses this very topic and goes a bit deeper.
So if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them on my Instagram account or Twitter, and please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this first new podcast episode of 2021! (:
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Podcast Music by: Royalty Free Rock via Pond5
*This episode was pre-recorded at the end of the summer of 2020.
