One of my favorite nonfiction books is Daniel Pink’s “Drive.” In it, he discusses what research tells us about the best ways to truly motivate people. Spoiler: extrinsic incentives like money and benefits are less powerful than intrinsic ones, like purpose, mastery, and autonomy.
I’m bringing this up because a good friend said to me recently, “Angie, you focus a lot on why people should practice in order to become better speakers and communicators. But what if they really don’t want to practice? Do you just decide to muscle through it? Is that enough?”
Dan Pink’s research (as well as my own experience, and probably yours) would say no. It’s not enough. Our resistance is too strong, and the urge to do something else important is too enticing. So the extrinsic motivator of “Angie says I have to practice” certainly won’t, and shouldn’t, be why you do it!
On the other hand, we all do things every day that we don’t really feel like doing, and we have lots of ways to make sure they get done. We do the dishes because it’s kind of yucky not to, but also because we value having a welcoming space to be in our kitchen.
Can you tie practicing to an outcome that’s meaningful to you? For instance, if you decide to spend 30 minutes practicing now, can you visualize the payoff in a week when you’re giving the presentation?
If you take time to jot notes to prepare for the tough conversation that’s coming up, being thoughtful about your deliberate intention and thinking through what challenges may come up for you, how will that further your long-term objectives? Is there a relationship you want to take care of, a team member who needs your time?
Practicing doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and it doesn’t have to be something you slog through. Thinking about the reason you want to do a good job elevates the task to have purpose and meaning.
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