Preparation for the contest by Anjana Vinod – OIISC2020 organized by MS Talks India
When you think of an Impromptu contest you actually don’t know what topic you need to be prepared for. Moreover, the challenge is how do you prepare for an exam where you don’t even know the subject leave alone the syllabus
Sometimes it helps to be gifted with the knack of dealing with surprises. The most important aspect for any speaker is to have a good knowledge bank.
I am a firm believer that having information doesn’t mean you have knowledge. But a processed information in the right manner and on a regular basis turns it into knowledge.
I am a vivacious reader and don’t remember a single time when I travel without a book. When you have lots of information the next thing is putting it to right use. I keep sharing my learning, book summary and reviews with my friends and fellow colleagues.
This also helps me build on various metaphors to use as examples. Here are few points I do on a regular basis to reach the place of a winner.
- I make small notes on quotes or any stuff I read and feel it’s something I would like to reflect back on.
- I ensure I do not lose out on any opportunity to express myself.
- I am naturally humorous and I leverage this in my speaking.
- Energy that you bring to the table is always contagious and that’s my USP.
- For improving the quality of my voice, I have one glass of warm turmeric water every day irrespective where I am speaking or not.
- I also ensure I get a good 8-hour sound sleep every day. This helps in your mind being relaxed and channelize your energies effectively
- Nothing is perfect until it’s a habit – so, I ensure I practice and go thru some stories, quotes on regular basis; so, I can recall when needed.
- Spontaneity is a god gifted skill and I ensure I don’t let it go waste
- I think leveraging on your strength and not trying to be someone else makes you a confident and natural speaker.
- Last but not the least is I practice visualization technique very strongly. Moment you see yourself as a winner or get a standing ovation the universe conspires it to reality
So, does that mean I am never nervous? The answer is a definite NO.
Its natural to have butterflies in the stomach and feel nervous but this is what I call healthy nervousness. It’s actually the excitement of seeing your preparation come to reality and a pat on the back. The more you practice being yourself and not mug-up things you are sorted. When you remember the key points and build naturally around it you sound genuine and honest.
People love to hear to genuine speakers as the belief is that are honest in what they say and nothing is faked. Your originality is your gift and no one can copy you better that you yourself.
Anjana Vinod
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