The Motto

Everyone talks to themselves. Whether you want to admit it or not, your mind is constantly full of dialogue. Sometimes this voice is helpful — like when you are about to leave the house and that little voice in your head suddenly reminds you that you forgot your phone on the dining room table. Other times, that internal voice can send you into a downward spiral. This commonly happens when you are stressed out and preparing for a large event.

That is why I always tell people to have a motto. Having a powerful motto is essential and finding the right one is a process. 

Most people, before they go on stage to give a presentation, talk to themselves by saying a variety of things like: 
​"Don’t mess up." 
"Just get through it!"
"I am going to get everyone excited about this."

The problem with these statements is that they all depend on the outcome of the presentation. You are measuring your success by the audience’s reaction. While everyone would love to believe otherwise, you have no control over what the audience does with the information you are giving them. You do, however, have control over what you do and how you approach the situation. Instead of thinking about the outside reaction to your material, find a motto that doesn’t depend on the audience. This motto is for you. This motto sets you up for your entire talk. What would be the best thing to say to make you feel like you were at the top of your game? 

Great mottos depend on the person. They range from: 
“I am calm, centered, and ready to have fun.” 
“Let’s do this!” 
"Game on!” 
My motto is, “I am amazing.” 

Your motto will come in handy before you go on stage for a presentation or before an interview. You can use it if something unexpected comes up and you need to recenter yourself. Or you can say it whenever you hear the little voice in your head telling you how everything could go wrong. 

It is worth your time to find the perfect motto. After all, “You are amazing.”