I have some sad news. Four out of five us will not complete our New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, by the second week of February, 80% of those who set goals on New Year’s Eve or Day will give up. We will demonstrate a lack of commitment or create excuse after excuse to not carry through with our plans. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Good news. January is over but we still have a few days left in February. And, if you are business-minded, we are still in Quarter 1. We still have a few more days to make things happen. If you are wanting to get that pay raise, close that deal, or impress your boss…you still have time. And, there is no better medium to achieve those goals than the power of a dynamic presentation.
We all know that a presentation can be that make or break moment so if there is one career item you want to focus on this year, make it your ability to give presentations that truly make an impact. Just imagine yourself having the skill set to win over the hearts and minds of any audience.
So, where do you start?
I would suggest starting with two items:
1. Discover Your Presentation Persona
2. Create a Stop Doing List
Discover Your Presentation Persona
Did you know that you can take an assessment right now that will help you discover and maximize your presentation persona? It’s called Badge. I like to think of it as the Myers-Briggs for presenters where you can find out which one of sixteen profiles fits you best. You can then take your new found knowledge and work on your strengths and weaknesses as a presenter. Will you be the energetic Activator? The well-loved Befriender? Or perhaps the clever Scientist? You can find out now over at the Badge site.
And, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the What’s Your Presentation Persona? book to understand your results.
Create a Stop Doing List
At the end of every year, I like to create a stop doing list. Within a few minutes, I can start pinpointing some of my major flaws and bad habits in life and as a professional presenter. So, if you apply this logic to something specific like your ability to give presentations, the results can be amazing.
Each day, you are being rewarded for items you initiate and achieve rather than those things you are pausing or better yet – stopping.
For instance, you may be praised for proactive behavior like:
– Arriving on time for work, not stopping your lateness.
– Being productive in your cubicle, not stopping your office gossip.
– Delivering a dynamic keynote, not stopping your procrastination.
You get affirmation for items you add rather than habits you stop. It’s nice in theory but it’s the wrong way to approach life.
I’ll give you an example.
Let’s say you want to be a better presenter in 2017. Your to-do list might quickly begin to look like this:
– Rehearse 7-8 times for every talk
– Become obsessed about presentation design
– Read one new presentation book a month
– Seek out professional training
– Model the successful presenters around me
The objective is ideal but the reality of maintaining this list of to-dos may only last a week or maybe a month if you are a top performer. The harsh reality is you will eventually find yourself burnt out and not doing any of the above after a certain length of time.
The solution? Choose one item to stop – right now. That’s it. Learn how to be simplify your thought process.
How about this version as an alternative?
“Stop thinking yesterday’s presentations will save me today.”
It’s much easier to stop one thing than adding the 5 tasks above to improve the same bad habit.
Resolutions are always a bit tough but if you can install the right practices and frame of mind, you can set yourself up to win. As a recap, it starts with getting a healthy does of self-awareness by taking the Badge assessment. Once you know your profile, make your next step the be the creation of a stop doing list.
These two approaches won’t solve all of your life’s problems, but they will definitely help you have a more amazing 2017 especially in the world of presentations.
