OK, I have to be honest: I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions. I make commitments whenever I see fit. And I start whenever I please. If there’s something you’re ready to commit to, today’s as good a day as any. No need to wait 50 weeks for the next New Year to roll around!
Now that’s out of the way, I’d like to share my new commitment with you.
What do a dancer, a chess player and a chef all have in common?
Throughout their careers, they consciously and consistently build their repertoires. A dancer learns new moves which can later be incorporated into new dances. A chess player acquires sequences and strategies that will prove valuable in future games. A chef discovers new ingredients, recipes, cooking methods and techniques that inspire new creations. So what about speakers?
My Resolution…
is to keep a notebook of speaking gold.
Inside, I’ll collect:
- Stories
- Quotes
- Funny stuff
- Activities
- Mnemonics
Time spent building your repertoire will be time saved when writing your speech.
Yes..for business/corporate people I would also add knowledge bites/ facts/statistics…admittedly some statistics could change but they could be referenced and updated periodically. Sometimes you gain credibility with an audience by showing your intelligence or knowledge of their business so facts can wow/inspire/impress and therefore also worth keeping…and not all change e.g. In 2016. Xxx number of people owned/borrowed ..etc, today that figure is…but shows your knowledge and research into something. Commit to keep yourself updated with knowledge gems!