It’s no secret that many people avoid public speaking, and it’s true that it can be an extremely daunting prospect. However, the best way to get over this fear is to confront it head-on. Here are eight things you can do to motivate yourself to speak up in front of groups, whether they’re work presentations or speeches on your favorite topics.
1) Accept who you are
Some of us want a different life or at least parts of it. We feel like there’s something wrong with us, something that we need to fix. Accepting who you are is one of the easiest ways to improve your self-motivation because once you stop fighting yourself, you can start focusing on what really matters. Think about it—when you look in a mirror do you find flaws and try to change them? No—you just accept them and move on. If only we could do that with our jobs and our everyday lives!
2) Take care of yourself
You only have so much time each day. If you’re not taking care of yourself, then you won’t be able to take care of others. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself—your body and your mind—you won’t be able to perform at your best. That’s why it’s important that we think about our self-care, especially when we feel like everything is falling apart (speech and work-related or otherwise). This will get us through even during times when motivation is low or energy is nonexistent. These eight tips can help
3) Remember, good enough is good enough
When you have a big speech or presentation coming up, it’s easy to get caught up in wanting everything to be perfect. The truth is, though, that's good enough can be just as good as perfect—and often better! If you start stressing about every little detail of your speech before it’s due, then you may end up with a great presentation but also stress-related problems like insomnia or headaches. Remember that no one will notice an extra comma; perfection isn’t what counts, what matters is your message getting across effectively. Good enough gets results!
4) Change your mindset
One of your biggest obstacles is likely a negative mindset. If you don’t change your way of thinking, you might miss out on opportunities or make excuses about why something isn’t possible. If you’re not where you want to be today, look at what you can do differently tomorrow. It might seem like it takes a lot of energy or mental power to push yourself forward, but as Charles Darwin famously said: It is not given to us as a task willingly sets us by our fellow men; it imposes upon us by ourselves as a necessity of our own nature. Remember that success happens one step at a time, even if all those steps are baby steps. A little progress every day will add up!
5) Get rid of self-talk (e.g., I can’t do this)
Self-talk refers to your internal dialogue, or whatever you say to yourself. In terms of speech, self-talk could be telling yourself that you can’t do something or that you’re not good enough—and neither of those things is helpful. The truth is that everyone has limitations and obstacles in their lives, but it doesn’t mean they can’t also achieve their goals; it just means they need a little extra motivation.
6) Keep it simple
One reason many people fail at their goals is that they set them too far away. For example, they might want to lose weight so they set a goal of losing 10 pounds over 6 months. That’s an awfully long time period! It’s way more motivating to break it down into smaller, concrete goals. Try making a list of all your small victories along your journey: I just fit into my favorite jeans again! or I lost two pounds in one week! Small steps are what lead us to our big successes. Here are some other ways you can stay motivated on your speech path
7) Think about past successes
Think about past successes you’ve had. There’s a lot of intellectual masturbation out there these days, where people just focus on what they are going to do or can do in the future. Instead, think back at past successes you’ve had and use them as motivation; they’re tangible proof that you can do it again. I like using my college graduation as an example—I got through four years of work pretty easily, so surely it will be even easier getting through whatever challenge is in front of me now.
8) Think about the outcome you want
The best way to motivate yourself is by thinking about how you want things to turn out. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s so important that I had to include it. For instance, if you want to give a speech because you want your audience members motivated and raving about your message, think about what type of outcome that would create for them. What kind of impact would that have on their life? How would they change as people as a result? You can also ask yourself what impact giving an amazing speech will have on you—and make sure that works in line with your motivation for giving one in the first place. Think through your vision thoroughly before you begin, and keep those thoughts at hand throughout. There are so many different ways to apply this: Whether you're working on a speech or finishing up homework, get into the habit of looking back on the outcomes that excite you the most. Every time you reach a milestone or finish something up, take a minute to feel good about where you are now and how far you've come. There's nothing wrong with being proud of yourself every once in a while!
No comments:
Post a Comment