25 New years resolutions for public speakers

1.   I will prepare and practice.
2.  I will be able to distil every speech and every presentation into a single sentence.
3. I will always ask myself: “Why should the audience care about my message?”
4. I will have a back-up plan in case the equipment doesn’t work.
5.  I will be well rested before speaking.
6.  I will use less text and more images in my slide presentations.
7.  I will watch one TED Talk every week.
8. I will get feedback on my performance.
9.  I will give a toast at a party.
10. I will seek out speaking opportunities at work.
11.  I will give a speech without notes.
12.   I will remember that being a little nervous before a speech is normal.
13.  I will make eye contact with the audience.
14.  I will pause effectively.
15. I will find out as much as I can about my audience beforehand.
16.   I will not speak longer than my allotted time.
17.  I will be passionate.
18. I will breathe deeply.
19.  I will video myself speaking.
20. I will work on eliminating distracting gestures or habits.
21.  I will focus on the audience and not myself.
22. I will use quotes and humour, if appropriate.
23. I will remember that my audience expects me to be present not perfect.
24.  I will remember that all the great speakers were bad speakers at first.
25.  I will enjoy the ride.