Cathy's blog

Some people can think quick on their feet. And others don’t.

Me? I’m somewhere in between.

I have my quick moments... and my very slow ones 😉

And let’s start by addressing a misconception right here, right now: one is not better than the other. But some of us have told ourselves that we need to have all the answers... Immediately. And for those of us that naturally require a bit more reflection time, this just increases the pressure tenfold.

So what DO you do when you’re someone that needs the extra time?

1. Prepare for conversations
   
   It sounds so basic and so simple, but how often do we forget?
   
   If you’re meeting with someone, make sure that you know upfront what the topics and the goals of the meeting are. The better you can prepare yourself, the less need there will be to improvise in the moment.
    

2. Normalize needing time
   
   There’s seriously nothing wrong with taking your time to think things through. Half the people on the planet need it, you’re definitely NOT alone in this!

   And yes, your ideas and solutions might come a bit slower, but they’re probably also more complete. So if (despite preparation) you still feel put on the spot, make sure you have a couple of go-to phrases that work for you:

   • I want to give that some more thought. Let me get back to you.

   • Excellent question. Who wants to share their thoughts?

   • Let’s park this for a moment.

   • I have some thoughts, but I’d like a bit more time to think about it.
      

3. Don’t let anyone drive you crazy!
   
   Slow = good. Full stop.

You got this!