It's a beautiful sunny weekday morning.
You roll out of bed. A few Instagram likes, a few scrolls.
A friend sent you a funny video and that gave you a nice laugh before you started getting ready for work.
On your way to the office, you stop and order your favorite cup of coffee.
The first sip is amazing, just how you like it. It's going to be a great day, you tell yourself.
When you arrive, you check your calendar and see an early unplanned meeting thrown on there.
Something tightens in your chest for a second. You can't quite name it, just a flicker of "I hope I don't ramble in there today."
No biggie, you tell yourself, and push it down.
When the time comes, you walk into the conference room and pull up a chair.
Of course you brought your favorite cup of coffee with you, because well, it's your favorite.
As you reach for it with your right hand and take a sip, someone turns to you and asks a question.
It's a simple question, but anxiety is filling your veins, because you know you're an overexplainer and an overthinker.
You start talking, and a minute later, you start seeing it...
Eyes are glazing over. People are checking email, Slack, some even have the audacity to be on their phone.
What should have taken 45 seconds turned into 7 minutes.
The meeting moved on.
Later, someone else says the same thing in a third of the words, and gets the nod that was supposed to be yours.
Ugh. That's rough.
Oh. But the pain isn't over yet.
Now you carry it home with you, which means you're paying for it a third time.
Once before the meeting.
Once during the actual meeting.
And now again after the meeting, at night, when you should be eating dinner with your family.
Not because you were wrong, you see. But because you didn't know how to say it right.
If that's familiar, you don't have a knowledge problem.
You have a communication problem, and it's costing you the room every time you open your mouth for too long.