Need Confidence? Run.

I run occasionally, because I enjoy it and it help keeps me in shape. Here’s how the running philosophy helps me with my presentations:

1. Discipline. It can be difficult to find the motivation for both running and working on your communication skills. However, getting used to putting in regular hard work makes it easier every time. For presentations, this can be rehearsing the piece one more time, which can feel like a hard slog but which will reap a great reward: a polished performance.

2. Courage. It’s cold and dark outside and you’d rather not go or a run, even for a few minutes, because you’ll feel so uncomfortable. Speaking in front of a group is intimidating, but knowing that when it counts you can apply yourself means you’ll feel a lot more confident. Trust me. In both situations, the feeling of accomplishment afterwards is wonderful.

3. Extremes for small improvements. Smart runners know that including hills, sprints and off-road sessions increases their speed for a flat road race more effectively, in less time and far more enjoyably than just pounding the pavements repeatedly. Do the same for your speaking confidence by including something tougher, briefer and ultimately more interesting than just rehearsing: stand-up comedy, amateur dramatics, or just striking up a conversation with a complete stranger on the train for a few minutes. Pull yourself into different ‘shapes’ and you’ll find that you’re flexing your communication muscles* in new ways.

Don’t forget to stretch.

* (by which I mean your brain – but you knew that, right?) 

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