Go With the Flow

About a year after I started doing stand-up comedy, while doing a 5 minute spot, I achieved flow, (or as it’s also known, ‘the zone’). Here’s how wikipedia describes flow:

‘Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does… …The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task although flow is also described as a deep focus on nothing but the activity – not even oneself or one’s emotions.’

I think that describes it pretty well; it’s precisely what you experience as a speaker who is completely at one with their material. What’s more, this is entirely within your grasp.

So, do your preparation for public speaking, and you too can achieve this remarkable state.