12 Days of Confidence
Day 8
We all have that risk averse, perfection gremlin in our brain that will never be convinced that things are going according to plan. It’ll always tell us we’re not ready. That we’re not prepared enough. That things will go wrong.
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Having some butterflies as the presentation day approaches is natural. And it can even be a good thing. The next time you worry about not being prepared enough, remind yourself:
I worked out many years ago that packing (to go on a trip or move house) is an activity that expands to fill the time you have. So, starting earlier does not make me more likely to finish ahead of my deadline. The packing will fill all the time you have up until you walk out the door to the airport. I think preparing for a speech is like that too. You can (and should) practise and edit and re-run and re-think and this could go on forever (it shouldn’t).
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It might be more useful to ask yourself this - “am I afraid of not being ready or, am I afraid that, if something (big or small) goes wrong, I won’t be able to handle it?” Let’s put preparation to one side and assume - something will go wrong - then what? Ask yourself - how will I react? How will I feel? What behaviour will come about? Will I be able to salvage something? Play out these scenarios in your head and it just might look like you are prepared afterall.
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The fact that you’re worrying shows that it’s important to you. There’s no finish line in preparation – all you can do is your best, and that’s enough.