HOLD THIS THOUGHT—LET IT LAND

Would you like to have all your resources instantly available when you’re presenting or training? That question came to me while preparing for a talk. I found myself rehearsing—not because I enjoy memorizing (I’ve always disliked it), but because I was afraid of forgetting key parts. That fear pushed me to try something I’d avoided for years: memorization. To my surprise, it changed everything. That one shift—choosing to rehearse what I feared forgetting—opened a door I didn’t know existed.

By rehearsing what I wanted to say, I could actually think about how I wanted to say it. I could emphasize, induce a state, add humor. Suddenly, I had space to perform—not just speak. It wasn’t robotic memorization. It was rehearsed familiarity. I could recall the sequence naturally, especially when I was in the presenting mood. And that gave me something I hadn’t expected: freedom. Freedom to focus on delivery, not just content.