#027: Better Communication, Accountability Partners, and RRR Updates
Read Time: 4 minutes
On this week’s Rat Race Running Newsletter:
RRR Update
RRR Article of the Week
4 Adulting Skills I Learned That Helped Me Communicate Better
RRR Thread of the Week
If You Want To Improve Faster, You Need These 3 Accountability Persons
RRR Investment Update for the Week
RRR Updates:
Substack: I’m still going through the continuous iteration of the newsletter by trying new stuff. Here’s what I changed:
Decreased the atomic essays from two to one.
Added an “interesting tweet from others” page.
You may also email me if you have ideas for improving the newsletter. Thank you!
Facebook: From 27K followers last week, we’re now at 31.4K. My 35,000-follower target by year-end suddenly became a possibility.
Typeshare: I’ll hit 100k words today. Wow!
RRR Article of the Week:
Communication is one of the most important yet often neglected adulting skills.
It has been this way for a long time because, as functioning adults, it's always presumed that we learned to communicate in school. However, I soon realized that communication is a skill that requires continuous learning and improvement. And unless both parties understand each other, communication won't happen.
Here are four communication skills that every adult needs to improve on continuously, especially in the changing times.
Skill #1: Listening Actively and Intently.
The problem with many people is they don't listen to understand but to reply.
Not focusing on what the other person says is why many miscommunications happen. This is one of the things I continue to improve on every day, especially when talking with my loved ones. We must be more conscious when listening and show that we're genuinely interested in what they say.
So, put down that phone and listen more carefully and intently to who you're talking to.
Skill #2: Speaking With Clarity.
Speaking is a skill that I want to improve on continuously.
As a fast talker, many people often pointed out that they couldn't understand me and that I should slow down. So, when I started teaching, speaking slower was one of the skills I consciously practiced every day. Another way to talk clearly is to say what you mean and mean what you say, skipping the fluff.
As adults, speaking clearly is crucial because even if someone is listening intently, but we're talking ambiguously or too fast, they still won't understand us.
Skill #3: Writing with Brevity.
Writing is one of the more underrated skills today.
People may not notice it, but we are always writing. We write on social media, emails, and other communication modes, but not everyone seems to know how to write with brevity. We need to move past the academic writing style we learned at school. Instead, we need to learn how to write to be understood, cut the fluff, and use more common words.
We need to be straightforward when talking, and we also need to do the same with writing.
Skill #4: Observing the Nonverbals.
The more challenging skill to master is the one we can't just listen to or read but requires careful observation—namely, nonverbal communication.
Research shows that women are more proficient with nonverbal communication, which is also why men are often clueless when their partners are upset and not talking to them. So, we need to be more observant and look for the nonverbal cues other people are showing.
It will probably take a lifetime to master, but both verbal and nonverbal communication are crucial for effective communication.
RRR Thread of the Week:
We all need more accountability in what we do. Some people don’t want the idea of someone checking on their work, but these people are crucial for us to reach the next stage.
An Interesting Tweet From Others:
A fulfilling career is often at the intersection of what we want to do and what others are willing to pay for. I think that’s what people mean when they say if you enjoy your job, you will never have to work a day in your life.
RRR Investment Update
Investing Insight: I started as a long-term investor, shifted to day trading, and turned to position trading before finally settling on dividend investing. It took me over five years to find the best strategy fitting my personality and availability. So, if you still have time, try different investing strategies.
Portfolio Update: One of my non-REIT stocks declared semi-annual dividends, so I have something to look forward to in November. Hopefully, other REITs will declare soon.
REIT Updates: $VREIT, $DDMPR, and $FILRT are now just the three REITs with more than 8% annualized yields. On the other hand, the market-favorite $AREIT is the only one below a 6% annual yield.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold. I am only sharing this to show the difference between each REIT’s current dividend yield.
See you again next Monday at 8 AM Philippine Time — RRR
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