The German hotel had three fruit juices on tap each morning—orange, grapefruit, and something mysterious called “vitality juice.”
I had no idea what vitality juice was, but since I was on a business trip that required vitality, I drank a lot of it. I kept thinking, “I feel good. I’m drinking vitality juice, and I feel very good.”
You and I are influenced by our thoughts, for better or worse.
Let’s try a mantra, a thought you deliberately tell yourself to evoke a desired quality, like energy.
Actors use a similar technique called inner monologue. Imagine you’re an actor getting ready for a love scene. As you look at your romantic partner, you deliberately think, “You have lovely eyes,” which beats your earlier thought, “Did you just eat a pastrami sandwich for breakfast?”
Sometimes when I go running, I use a 3-word mantra that I heard on an exercise video: Show Your Numbers! The exercise instructor was wildly enthusiastic about squats. Her attitude seemed to be, “Sure the world may be falling apart, but hey, that shouldn’t stop you from doing a proper squat.”
A proper squat requires proper posture. Hmm, how’s your posture?
Show Your Numbers! is shorthand for chin up, shoulders back, stand tall—as if you were wearing a team jersey and wanted others to easily read the numbers on front.
But this mantra also works on an emotional level. You feel better from the physical act of standing tall, as well as from the emotional prompt to show your stuff.
And it’s applicable to many non-squat situations. It certainly beats my usual thoughts when running, such as:
- When will this be over?
- I just realized, I loathe running.
- Almost as much as I loathe squats.
Tip: The next time you walk into a meeting (virtual or otherwise), try a mantra. When I coach execs, I sometimes suggest the mantra, strong and confident.
But experiment with different words; you want something that’s short and simple, and that gives you a boost.
Sort of like vitality juice.
Paul
P.S. BOOST YOUR RESULTS—whether giving a presentation, talking with clients, or muttering to yourself.
—Virtual workshop—I’ve been leading Dynamic Speaking, a four-session course for small teams. We practice how to get heard, get remembered, and get results.
—Webinars—e.g. Bulletproof Feedback; Your Point?—Be Concise; The Power of Presence; Stories that Work; Resilience @ Work. . . Click here for all 12 programs.
—1-1 Coaching—I’ll help you with design (what to say) and/or delivery (how to say it with presence). Click here for details.
P.P.S. Rather just read a book?
You’ve Got 8 Seconds: Communication Secrets for a Distracted World—named one of the best biz books of the year by an obscure, but obviously brilliant, Canadian newspaper.
Selected by a Fortune 50 company for their book club, translated into five languages, rated 4.3 on Amazon (309 reviews), it’s available in print, kindle and audio.
To get these fast tips, click here
PAUL HELLMAN consults & speaks internationally on how to make your point—fast, focused, powerful.
For more info please visit Express Potential or call 508-879-0934.
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Paul consults & speaks internationally on how to make your point with maximum impact—in less time.