To get the most out of your practice session you just want to let it flow. You want to trust yourself to be able to easily remember what you want to do when you’re speaking. You want each practice session to build on the last one, so that your time is really well spent.
Let’s look at some things that might stand in the way of that flow. Those blocks mainly consist of thoughts and that you have about practicing, past experiences that didn’t go so well, or beliefs that are unhelpful. And feelings that get in your way when you go to speak for real – whether that’s your 30-second elevator pitch that you use at networking events, or a presentation, or teaching a class. This approach can work for all of those speaking situations.
A Common Block
The first one is not being prepared for the practice session. This is taking care of the nuts and bolts – like allowing yourself the time, making a plan for the practice session, having your script ready, having audio or video equipment set up if you want to record yourself. One of the biggest slow-downs for a good rehearsal is feeling uncomfortable, feeling tense, anxious, nervous – whatever words you use to describe that uncomfortable feeling. So the trick is to minimize that in as many ways as you possibly can.
When you rehearse and you’re not prepared, you’re tense because your mind is going in different directions trying to cover those other bases. You want to be able to focus during your practice session. That’s what removing these other obstacles helps you to do. Your goal is to get prepared so that the only thing that is going on is that you’re rehearsing for your speaking.
Otherwise, you’re stopping and starting. You don’t get a flow going, which is important in a rehearsal. You want to be able to rehearse the thing all the way through. So when you come to give your talk for real, that’s how it’s going to come up – one continuous flow.
Another Obstacle
A second common block to getting the most from rehearsal is this belief: If I rehearse it, I won’t be spontaneous. This just isn’t true. Rehearsing until you know your talk inside out actually gives you the flexibility to BE spontaneous. When you know your material on a really solid basis, it gives you a lot of freedom to be able to improvise parts of it, to adjust it for your particular audience because you’re so familiar with the material.
You may have the concern that rehearsing is going to make it come out sounding like a canned talk, and that it’s going to be boring to people. That can be true. But the cause is not the fact that you rehearsed it. The cause for that “canned” talk effect happening is being uncomfortable with giving your talk. If you’re uncomfortable begin in front of people, and just go to memorize the talk and sound like somebody just pulled your chain and you’re delivering a memorized speech. The thing that’s causing you to resort to that mode is a lot of tension and discomfort.
Use EFT Tapping To Clear Inner Blocks
If you’re not familiar with tapping, it’s simple! Just click on this Quick Start EFT Video to get the hang of it.
Tapping for the Problem
- Even though I have these thoughts and feelings about rehearsing that have been with me a long time, I want to love and accept myself anyway.
- Even though I have these old fears and beliefs about practice sessions that might be messing things up for me, I want to accept myself because I’m doing the best I can – the same way I always do.
- Even though I’m carrying these blocks to maximizing my rehearsals for speaking, I respect who I am and I respect my feelings.
- I’m afraid if I rehearse this too much, I’ll sound like a robot.
- I want to sound spontaneous, so I’ll just practice the beginning and the end.
- I need to spend time on other things, so I’ll practice parts of it whenever I have a spare minute or two.
- It makes me nervous when I rehearse, so I don’t want to do it.
- I went through it when I was looking for errors. That should be enough practice time.
- I’ll just get things together as I go along. That will make my rehearsal time more worthwhile.
- I don’t want to record my practice because I don’t want to watch myself or hear myself.
- I should know this material by now, as much time as I spent writing this. Why waste my time practicing it?
- I’ll just practice the tough parts of it.
- I don’t have enough time to rehearse it all the way through. No biggie.
- If I don’t know it by now, I probably never will.
- I shouldn’t have to rehearse this thing. I know what I want to say.
- I have too many things to do to spend a bunch of time in practice sessions.
- I never leave enough time for this.
- What’s the matter with me?
Tapping for the Solution
- Even though I still have some issues about rehearsing, I can feel my perspective starting to shift, and I appreciate myself for that.
- Even though a part of me still has some concerns about rehearsing, another part of me is letting them go, and I want to accept both parts of me – the part that’s hanging on and the part that’s letting go.
- Even though a small part of me still has some old beliefs and unpleasant feelings about practice sessions, a wise part of me has chosen to let most of them go, and that feels great!
- I’m choosing to let go of those old patterns.
- I choose to make the most of my practice sessions.
- It’s so worth it for me to the put the time into this.
- I can feel the tension leaving me now.
- I’m going to know the material inside and out.
- I’m choosing to completely release my old doubts.
- I’m confident that I’m creating the perfect practice plan for me.
- The more I focus, the calmer I feel.
- I can picture myself as calm and confident.
- I choose to completely prepare for a good rehearsal.
- Then I can devote my attention to going all the way through it.
- I’m looking forward to being totally comfortable with what I have to say.
- I’m the director, and this is what I’m choosing for myself.
- I’m excited to hear the outcome of my rehearsals.
- I’m choosing to make the very best of all my practice sessions.
Let us know how it goes for you by leaving a comment below!
