OH, THOSE BUTTERFLIES . . . Rising up inside as we face all manner of situations: presentations; asking for a raise; cold calling; presenting a new idea to the team — every individual has their collection of situations in which their insides start churning.
You’ve probably heard the advice about getting those butterflies to “fly in formation”. Or maybe you follow the advice to “imagine your audience naked”. There are almost as many approaches as there are butterflies.
But here’s the deal: Much (or most?)(or all?) of what you’re feeling before a particular event is natural. Granted, it feels weird — body revving, muscles on alert, as you wait patiently for your moment to be “on” — but it really is how we’re all wired.
I struggled with this myself, during my days as a Broadway actor, expecting that I should be caaaalm before my auditions. Then I realized that if my body and mind weren’t at their peak when my name was called, I was not going to make the best impression. So I learned to embrace this animated state, rather than fret and try to fight it, and it made a world of difference.
The same rule applies in business, as well. It’s natural to feel revved up before an event, even if it’s just asking your boss for that raise you clearly deserve. If you’re prepared, if you know your stuff, then it really is “performance energy” you’re feeling, not nerves.
So the next time you feel that swell of energy rising up inside, don’t think “Augh! Stop! Go away!” Instead, smile and say to yourself, “Good. Right on time.”
[You can find more on this and related subjects at The YouBlog — practical ideas on presentations, persuasion, selling, and communications.]
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