Keynote speakers, top salespeople, and big-time athletes face a similar challenge.

How do you get up for the game, get ready to do your best, without nervously dissipating your energy, or overvaluing the idea of winning at any cost?

In other words, how can you stay loose? How can you keep the fun in the experience, instead of turning it into a gut wrenching drag?

Something that that works for me is to:

(1) Monitor my nerves, and when they get too jittery, this cues me to take the next step, which is to:

(2) Remind myself to get nervous later, not now.

I don't put myself down for getting the butterflies, which is an easy trap to fall into as a professional keynote speaker and sales coach.

In effect, I say to myself, "Of course you want to feel nervous, and you'll get your chance, later, closer to kickoff time.”

Then something marvelous happens.

I really relax. I enjoy myself. I enhance my upcoming event with some new twists.

I might even decide to add a new celebrity impression to my "act,” like Sean Connery.

Of course, while all of this relaxing and fun prep are going on, the clock is ticking away, and I'm not sweating it, or anything.

Then, it's 30 seconds until I'm "on” and guess what?

It's too late to worry!

This has worked for me so many times, in so many settings, that I feel it is nearly foolproof.

Try it for yourself, and please tell me how you do!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006