A ritual is a behavior that can influence your performance. Rituals connect you with a feeling of success by giving you a boost of confidence and the sense of control. We've all seen athletes and sports teams who have unique pre-performance rituals that they repeat before every game. The same is true of presenters.
Calm before the storm
Stepping into the spotlight requires preparation and calm and sometimes getting there - physically and mentally - requires a ritual. Many speakers use breathing techniques or visualizations before getting in front of an audience. Studies have found that there is a part of the brain that doesn't respond well to words, but recognizes and reacts to gestures and actions.
Your ritual can take place hours before you go on stage or minutes before you are introduced - the idea is that you have an action or a series of actions you perform that let your mind and body relax so that you become more confident and comfortable before your presentation. When Ty Boyd has a speech to give, he spends the final moments before he is introduced by mentally repeating a mantra: Energy, energy, energy. This takes his mind off the fear and places it on charging his batteries with enthusiasm. Done mindfully, a ritual slows you down and connects you to the moment.
Not to be confused for superstition...
Don't confuse superstitions with rituals. A superstition is a belief that something has significant power or luck without any logical reasoning. A ritual is when you intentionally prepare for an event using meaningful actions by visualizing and focusing on what is necessary to be successful.
In his book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Mason Currey profiles the daily rituals of over 150 famous artists. Currey does a fabulous job of researching their rituals and combining them into a cohesive, engaging package. Some of the profiles are only a half page in length, the longest are 2-3 pages, but all of them are fascinating and inspiring. What you learn is that the rituals and routines are as unique and different as the works the artists created.
We'd love to know the rituals that are most valuable to you. Leave your tips in the comment section below.
Taking your communication skills to the next level
While there are multiple places to get tips & tricks for public speaking, we believe hands-on-training is the way to truly master public speaking. If you are looking for proven techniques for preparing and delivering effective presentations; greater confidence in your presentation skills ability; and new tools for effective communication look no further. Excellence in Speaking Institute, our signature course, provides all of the above and each attendee also receives an individualized game plan for how to further improve and enhance their skills after the course.
