Matt Abrahams

So just like when you exercise, you turn red and you sweat. So we have to cool ourselves down. And the way you cool yourself down is holding something cold in the palms of your hand. The palms of your hand are thermoregulators for your body. So if you cool yourself down, you'll blush and sweat less. If you take deep breaths, your heart rate will slow down.

If you get present-oriented, it'll also bring you into a place where you can do it more confidently. So several techniques there. You're already employing many that work for lots of people.

If you get present-oriented, it'll also bring you into a place where you can do it more confidently. So several techniques there. You're already employing many that work for lots of people.

If you get present-oriented, it'll also bring you into a place where you can do it more confidently. So several techniques there. You're already employing many that work for lots of people.

Slightly different mechanism, slightly different source. Many of us, when we communicate because we're nervous about it and want to show ourselves as best we can, we over-rehearse, we over-practice, and your brain is like a computer. It's not a perfect analogy, but you only have so much limited cognitive bandwidth.

Slightly different mechanism, slightly different source. Many of us, when we communicate because we're nervous about it and want to show ourselves as best we can, we over-rehearse, we over-practice, and your brain is like a computer. It's not a perfect analogy, but you only have so much limited cognitive bandwidth.

Slightly different mechanism, slightly different source. Many of us, when we communicate because we're nervous about it and want to show ourselves as best we can, we over-rehearse, we over-practice, and your brain is like a computer. It's not a perfect analogy, but you only have so much limited cognitive bandwidth.

You know on your laptop or your phone when you have lots of windows and apps open, each one of those is behaving a little more slowly because the others are open. The same with your brain. If I am judging and evaluating what I'm saying while I'm saying it to a high degree, I have less cognitive resource to actually do what I'm doing. That's why memorizing is so bad.

You know on your laptop or your phone when you have lots of windows and apps open, each one of those is behaving a little more slowly because the others are open. The same with your brain. If I am judging and evaluating what I'm saying while I'm saying it to a high degree, I have less cognitive resource to actually do what I'm doing. That's why memorizing is so bad.

You know on your laptop or your phone when you have lots of windows and apps open, each one of those is behaving a little more slowly because the others are open. The same with your brain. If I am judging and evaluating what I'm saying while I'm saying it to a high degree, I have less cognitive resource to actually do what I'm doing. That's why memorizing is so bad.

When you memorize, you've created the perfect way to say it, and you're constantly comparing what you're saying to what you memorize, reducing the bandwidth you have. So it's not about saying it right. There is no right. There's only better or worse. So I like to tell my students, I like to tell everybody, it's about connection, not perfection.

When you memorize, you've created the perfect way to say it, and you're constantly comparing what you're saying to what you memorize, reducing the bandwidth you have. So it's not about saying it right. There is no right. There's only better or worse. So I like to tell my students, I like to tell everybody, it's about connection, not perfection.

When you memorize, you've created the perfect way to say it, and you're constantly comparing what you're saying to what you memorize, reducing the bandwidth you have. So it's not about saying it right. There is no right. There's only better or worse. So I like to tell my students, I like to tell everybody, it's about connection, not perfection.

Just connect, get the idea across, rather than trying to say it exactly the right way. The desire to say it right leads to choking because you've exhausted your cognitive bandwidth. Okay, how do you overcome that perfectionism trap? Several ways. One, remind yourself the goal of communication is to connect, to get the point across. It's not about you, it's about your audience.

Just connect, get the idea across, rather than trying to say it exactly the right way. The desire to say it right leads to choking because you've exhausted your cognitive bandwidth. Okay, how do you overcome that perfectionism trap? Several ways. One, remind yourself the goal of communication is to connect, to get the point across. It's not about you, it's about your audience.

Just connect, get the idea across, rather than trying to say it exactly the right way. The desire to say it right leads to choking because you've exhausted your cognitive bandwidth. Okay, how do you overcome that perfectionism trap? Several ways. One, remind yourself the goal of communication is to connect, to get the point across. It's not about you, it's about your audience.

So we have to think about what's relevant for them. When we remind ourselves that we're in service of our audience, we have value to bring, it takes that spotlight off of us and shines it on our audience. So that reduces the pressure, frees up more cognitive bandwidth. When it comes to memorizing in particular, I am a huge fan of structure. Structure is a logical connection of ideas.

So we have to think about what's relevant for them. When we remind ourselves that we're in service of our audience, we have value to bring, it takes that spotlight off of us and shines it on our audience. So that reduces the pressure, frees up more cognitive bandwidth. When it comes to memorizing in particular, I am a huge fan of structure. Structure is a logical connection of ideas.

So we have to think about what's relevant for them. When we remind ourselves that we're in service of our audience, we have value to bring, it takes that spotlight off of us and shines it on our audience. So that reduces the pressure, frees up more cognitive bandwidth. When it comes to memorizing in particular, I am a huge fan of structure. Structure is a logical connection of ideas.

It's a roadmap. One of the very common structures many of your listeners, I'm sure you're familiar with, is problem, solution, benefit. I tell you about a problem, I tell you how I solve it, and I tell you how you benefit. That structure provides a roadmap for me, so I don't have to memorize every word in what I'm saying. I just remind myself that I explain the problem.