As someone who’s done speeches and teaches others how to speak themselves, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “How can I be a speaker if I have stage fright?”

Every year, you can find a new study on top fears and phobias, and every year, you’ll always see the fear of public speaking in the top five.

Ultimately, what people are afraid of isn’t public speaking itself, it’s the idea of embarrassing yourself. Forgetting what you’re supposed to say. Freezing up. Or stuttering and saying the wrong thing.

But there’s one thing that can eliminate all of that: confidence.

Because if you’re confident in what you’re saying, you’re not going to trip over your words or make a fool of yourself. You’re in a mental state where you’re completely certain about what you’re talking about. And ultimately, that’ll reflect in your speech.

The real question is, how do you become confident in speaking?

It comes down to preparation and practice.

Before going into a state tournament, I would repeat my speech hundreds of times. Each time practicing my enunciation, hand gestures, body language, and how I’d look at the crowd.

It was through repetition that I became confident in the very thing I sucked at just weeks before. And when you practice something so much, there’s no difference between doing it alone, and doing it in front of others.

Speaking is a habit just like anything else. The more you do it, the more you get familiar with it. And in turn, the better you become.

So if you’re someone who’s afraid to speak or might even have a speech coming up. Start with constant repetition. You might be surprised at just how much your confidence will grow.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still reading Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. A bestselling book on the perfect morning routine that you should adopt all before 8am.

Quote Of The Week - “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” — Jim Rohn