The Power of the Pause + this had me up past midnight

If you watched the Scripps National Spelling Bee this year, you know that it was historic. Not one, not two, not three, but EIGHT amazing participants were still in the running in the 18th round. That was unprecedented.

The facilitators were running out of challenging words, they knew they couldn't stump them. These young men and women were absolutely amazing at their craft. So the pronouncer made a decision - all they had to do was get through three more rounds and they would be a champion. So as many co-champions as that would end up being, that was it.

One by one, each one stood up, listened to the word, took pause, asked for more information, wrote the word in the air, did whatever necessary until they were ready to spell.

And guess what, EVERY SINGLE ONE - WON! Yes, EIGHT co-champions. It was really amazing to watch. Not only the excitement of the participants, but the joy on their families faces.

This event reminded me of the power of the pause. These contestants, even if they knew how to spell the word quickly based off their facial expression, took the time to ensure success or maybe just relish in the fact that they had it!

When I speak at an event and I say something I want the audience to remember and really resonate with, I always take pause. It’s not about jumping into the next sentence and being fast and punchy. It’s about letting the information sink in and make an impact.

The power of the pause also means something on a deeper level. Take pause and get out of your daily business operations and do something to get you to the next level. Just last week, I hosted a retreat with my private clients, something we do a few times a year, and every single one of them traveled and spent two full business days with me to truly take pause.

They took pause from the overwhelm and the stress to plan and to reset.

There is so much value in that.

Several times a year team SSC comes together to pause for our own business. To stop the day to day, clear the slate and plan forward. When you are in the weeds of business and growth you cannot creatively and strategically plan forward.

When you don’t have an answer to a question right away, you don’t have to fill the time with umms and ahhs. You can simply not say anything.

Pause. Reflect. Think about your answer.

In the moments of celebration and in the moments of feeling stuck, the power of the pause is there for you. Use it to your advantage.

Take a time-out, a breather, an intermission, a rest, a recess - and when you are ready, spell out your next action. Just as the eight co-champions celebrated with one another, let’s celebrate together in all of our business successes. We are all in this together.