The Unseen Side of Success

Why Bad Days Are Good For You

I start every day with 20 to 30 minutes of yoga. This morning, my online instructor gave an insight that made me stop my routine and jot down an idea for this post.

She said,

“It’s easy to want every yoga session to be the best possible one. To get the maximum benefit every time.

“But that’s not possible. Some days your body isn’t going to cooperate and you’re not going to get the optimal stretches or feel your best. That’s part of being human. The next day will be better.”

In pursuing excellence, speakers often strive to deliver their best in every performance.

But, as my yoga instructor pointed out, some days are not going to be as good as others.

The Best Performers Understand

Singers, athletes, and performers understand this. They know it’s crucial to accept that not every performance will be optimal.  You will have bad days. Embracing these experiences is essential to communicating growth and impact.

The desire for perfection every time is detrimental. It’s an unattainable standard.

Think about a poor performance you’ve had.

Were you willing to learn from it?

If so, what insights did you gain from it?

When faced with a subpar performance, ask yourself two questions:

1. What did I do well?

This isn’t a touchy-feely question. It helps you see the good habits and actions you already have so that you’ll keep doing them.

It also put you in a better frame of mind to answer the second question,

       2. What could I have done better?

Not, “Why am I so lousy?” or “How could I be so stupid?”

Those questions are endless loops that have no beneficial answer.

Focus on one or two specific areas that could have been better. These are not reflections of your abilities. They’re indicators of where you need to improve. Nothing more, nothing less.

One Performance Doesn’t Define You

You are not defined by a single performance. Asking these questions will help ease the pressure to be flawless.

“Perfection” is a word I hear from many speakers. To help you avoid this trap, keep this in mind:

“Audiences do not want perfection. They want connection.”

The people in front of you are not perfect. They cannot relate to someone who comes across as having no faults. They want flawed people who share common experiences.

Establishing a healthy perspective on less-than-stellar performances improves your mental well-being. Accept that occasional off-days are inevitable. This allows you to maintain a positive outlook. This helps you focus on growth and self-improvement.

Be willing to accept that not every performance will be optimal. This is a vital mindset for every speaker.

Embrace imperfection.

Learn from your bad days.

You’ll develop resilience, adaptability, and mental strength.  You’ll thrive as a speaker and communicator.

COMING SOON!

Increase your communication confidence, influence and impact

Most speakers understand the importance of stories in their speeches.

They work hard to share the best possible narratives with their audiences.

But, most of them don’t receive maximum benefit from their presentations. They don’t attract more customers. They don’t get buy-in from their teams. They don’t sell more of their products/services.

So, we’re about to open registration for a new course. It’s an interactive and content-rich online program, High Impact Storytelling.

With our proven, repeatable  story framework, you can:

• Elevate your storytelling abilities
• Transform ordinary anecdotes into enthralling tales that leave audiences enchanted and motivated
• Increase your impact, influence, and confidence

Registration will open soon.

Before we open it, would it be out-of-line to ask for your help?

Please answer one question:

What would you like to see in a course like this?

Send your reply to this email: mike@speakingcpr.com.