If you’re new to “25 x 25 in ’25,” welcome! I created this series of 25 public speaking exercises that can be done in 25 seconds a day to help you practice (and perfect) some critically important public speaking skills. So feel free to begin with this exercise, or to catch up on previous exercises Read More
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25 x 25 in ’25: Because We All Need Public Speaking PRACTICE!
Practicing is the only way to become a better speaker! [NOTE: Click here if you’d like to go straight to the list of exercises.] Yeah, I know. It’s possible you hate practicing. That’s because—by definition—when we practice, we’re working on something we haven’t mastered yet (and maybe even suck at). That’s not fun for many Read More
Aim Your Words: A “25 x 25 in ’25” Public Speaking Exercise
When I was young, in the early 1970s, I spent a few years working in some pretty disreputable bars. One was the kind of joint where people arrived at 6am to start drinking their disability checks, and the other was a biker bar in San Francisco’s “Tenderloin” (red light) district. The main thing I learned from Read More
Breathing: A Public Speaking Practice Exercise
I’ve struggled to breathe for most of my life. And yes, I know: Breathing is supposed to be a natural, unconscious function. Babies are born knowing how to do it. But most of our adult customs—from swallowing our feelings to sitting at our desks all day—work against the “natural” part and leave our brains and Read More
Take Stock of Your Wins!
Many years ago, I discovered a book called Your Best Year Yet: Ten Questions for Making Your Next Twelve Months the Most Successful Ever. In it, author Jinny Ditzler invites you take stock of yourself by answering questions like, Normally, these sorts of exercises are not my idea of a good time. (They’re too “New Read More