Have you ever done something that scared you? Like, really REALLY scared you?
I had a mega “oh crap” moment last year, when I performed stand up comedy for the very first time at an open mic night in New York City.
Stand up is something I had NEVER EVER considered doing, but I managed to overcome my fears and give it a go.
Wanna hear the story, plus the ENTIRE RECORDING of my set? Listen in to the show!
WARNING: there is explicit language in this episode (yes, I swear in my performance. Must’ve been the nerves.) I do give you a heads up though 🙂
Lessons learned:
1. If you want to get more confident at speaking in front of people, make it a habit to speak at every opportunity
Just DO IT. Maybe you’re in a fitness class and the trainer asks someone to demonstrate. Put your hand up! If you’re in a lecture, ask a question! Who cares what the answer is; it’s the speaking as practice that counts. Or if you’re at dinner with friends, take a few minutes to stand up and say how much you appreciate them.
These little things WILL make a difference. It’s like practice for a bigger, more high pressure situation. Without these little things, I would have NEVER had the confidence to do the stand up gig.
2. If something scares you, turn that fear into excitement
3. There is nothing like the feeling of exhilaration you get when you’ve accomplished something you originally thought to be impossible
Coming off that stage, I felt like I could achieve anything. When was the last time you had this feeling? It’s amazing. It’s such a high. So there’s another reason to get out there and do stuff that scares you.
Your challenge:
Take every opportunity to speak in front of people, whether it’s your friends, at a work meeting, or in a class. Take it slow. Start small. These small ‘wins’ will help you build confidence to take on bigger things. If I can manage to work up to doing stand-up comedy, you too can work up to overcoming your own speaking fears.
And that’s no joke.
Other links I mention:
- Jerod Morris recommending my podcast on The Showrunner Podcast last week. Thank you Jerod!
- Want to get more confident at speaking about yourself? Jump on my free Small Talk Made Simple email class!
