“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won’t have to hear it scream.” -Anonymous
In August of 2020, I was asked to speak at one of the largest events in the real estate industry. During that time, we were still in lockdown, so the event was virtual. The hosts did an amazing job preparing all of the speakers with detailed lists on how to be best prepared. Everything from your background, to being hardwired in, to showing up 45 minutes ahead of your allotted speaking time to work out any bugs that might arise.
I was part of a panel with two other panelists. We were all given a list of questions that were going to be asked, so I used them to prepare. On the day of the event, I was ready. Nervous, but ready. I had followed their instructions to the letter. My background was perfect. Internet checks showed I was good, and at 1:15, 45 minutes ahead of the 2:00 panel, I jumped into the virtual waiting room with the other panelists.
Everyone looked and sounded great, so my co-panelists, both of whom I already knew, were just chatting when disaster struck. At 1:22 pm, my computer decided to reset.
“Oh shit. Ok ok. No big deal. I still have 38 minutes,” I said out loud to myself.
Once the computer turned back on, an Apple logo appeared and a long line formed under it. On the left side of the line, it began to light up, showing the percentage of the update that had been done and what was left. Then the part that really had me freaking out appeared.
“Update 47 minutes.”
“47 minutes. I don’t have 47 minutes.”
At this point, it was 1:26 pm I had 34 minutes before going live in front of 15,000 participants.
One of my co-panelists was texting me.
“Where’d you go?”
“My computer is updating. It says it has 47 minutes until it’s done.”
“Oh shit. Do you have another computer?”
“No.”
I was stuck. I had no other computer with me, and I didn’t have time to run home and grab my wife’s. Reality started to set in, and panic ensued.
As time ticked on, my anxiety went through the roof. My story was steeped in pure blame. Blaming the computer. Blaming Apple. But ultimately, I landed on who really deserved the blame. Me.
The part I haven’t told you is what led up to that moment over the previous four weeks. Every morning, I would log onto that same computer, and in the top right section of the monitor, a notification would appear.
“New software is ready to be installed.”
The notification offered a drop-down arrow, giving options for the update. Every morning, I would click the drop-down and select “Remind me tomorrow.”
My computer had been nudging me every day for a month, but instead of heeding its warning, I chose “Remind me tomorrow” until it forced an update at the most inopportune time possible.
It wasn’t Apple’s fault. It was mine.
If you’re wondering about the event, I got lucky. The 47-minute update actually took about 25, so with 10 minutes to spare, I jumped back into the virtual waiting room. A sigh of relief of epic proportions found its way out of me. The panel went great, and I learned a very valuable lesson. But it had nothing to do with my computer.
It presented itself in the form of a question.
“What are the notifications life is continuously giving me that I am consistently ignoring?”
The lesson had nothing to do with technology and everything to do with awareness.
If we learn to listen, life does nudge us. It is our kids trying to get our attention while we stare at our phones. A spouse wanting our attention while we bang away at the keyboard. A feeling in your stomach that is symptomatic of a bigger issue. The notification system is always signaling us, trying to get us to update our software, and yet we often choose to click “Remind me tomorrow.”
That is, of course, until that process of ignoring the notifications becomes a full-blown wake-up call. Your kids are having trouble at school. Your partner becomes cold and distant. A health scare that was easily preventable now has you in the ER.
But they usually only end up that way when we ignore the early warnings.
You can learn to listen. You can use the notifications. All you have to do is answer the question.
“What are the notifications life is continuously giving me that I am consistently ignoring?”
I learned this lesson the easy way only because I got lucky. Do not ignore the notifications to the point of potential disaster. Do not ruin something great because you are too busy to slow down.
If you read this newsletter consistently, I want you to think of me like your coach. As your coach, I am giving you an assignment.
Take out a journal or a blank sheet of paper, a pen, and a timer. Write the question, “What are the notifications life is continuously giving me that I am consistently ignoring?” at the top of the paper. Set the timer for 10 minutes, and do not let your hand stop until the timer ends.
Doing so could save a marriage, a friendship, or maybe even your life.
live freed,
Jordan
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