In the previous post, we discussed about getting our commitment right from the very first day. If you have found your innermost motivation, let us move on to the next phase, where it starts to get more technical.
In order for us to be confident, understanding what confidence are. We always believe confidence is courage plus competence. Confidence is our inward-looking reflection of our competencies. Do we trust our own capability?
If we master one new skill, and be good at it. At the end of the day, we can say we are confident of that new skill. When we first learn swimming, we aren't confident about it. As our experience and stage time grows, our confidence also grows.
By knowing that confidence is specific to certain competencies, why are there seemed to be people whose confidence level radiates every aspects of their life? They seemed to be confident in any place, any situation.
I strongly believe that people with such blessings, have mastered various essentials skills that can be used in multiple facet of life, like communication skills, people skills, and emotional intelligence (basically anything that relates to human relationship).
Being confident for specific skills, like coding, arithmetic, research, music does give impact to confidence. But these skills would not make the confidence radiates in other aspects of the person's life. Instead, if they master skills that relates them to people (like public speaking), it works like a swiss-army-knife of confidence.
Therefore, after understanding how confidence works, how do you build up your confidence level and more specifically about Public Speaking? Here are what you need to do on Day 2.
1) Check Your Confidence Level
How Confident Are You? | Not Confident At All | Somewhat Confident | Confident Enough | Very Confident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
In your own perspective? | | | | |
In the perspective of your immediate family? | | | | |
In the perspective of your friends? | | | | |
In the perspective of a stranger? | | | | |
These check-up will let you know which area of yourself that needs confidence building. For example, if you are not confident in the opinion of a stranger, probably that is because you aren't sure how to talk to strangers/ to create a good impression from the very first time.
If you are not confident in the opinion of your family and friends, probably it is about how you react to social situations/ even how do you bring yourself everyday, thus needing habitual change. Lastly if you are not confident in your own opinion, you seriously need to do the second step now.
2) Now Do One Thing You Have Never Done Before
The easiest way to instantly boost your confidence, is to do one thing that is completely out of your comfort zone. Do something that you have never done before (of course nothing illegal). To some people, talking to 3 complete strangers on the street is out of comfort zone. To some, calling your dearest friends and asking their day, is out of comfort zone. It could be anything, and there is only one rule. The things you need to do, must not be something you do alone. No reading books, meditation or yoga in your own room. Do something that involves others! You want to train your social skills. Best recommendation, is to call up a friend (voice call or video call) and share a story with them.
3) Make A Research About Public Speaking
If you are to call up a friend you would soon realize that somethings story telling skills might come in handy. You can make interesting interaction with your friends & family simply by telling interesting stories. Storytelling is one of the method in public speaking and there are ways to make stories interesting. In SMLONE we are very particular in our methodology in making someone confident in Public Speaking.
We always believe the best way to practice this skill is to do the hard-labor yourself. Go and watch several ted-talks and make your own summary on two things: What is so good about the content? What is so good about the delivery? After that you can also check out our free tutorial in our website to gain knowledge about Public Speaking or even follow some of the courses we offered.
Personally, I'd like to recommend you to watch the video of Steve Jobs, in Stanford University Commencement Address in 2005, and listen to how beautifully crafted the speech is. If you want to read the transcript of the speech, you can access it here too.
Make a simple note on what do you like from the speech and be specific about it, or even what you don't like. From this lists you can make a rough estimate of what kind of style you like as public speaker. And this will work as your stepping stone in the next days.
MNG
Professional Coach & Trainer