I want to tell you the fastest way to improve thinking on your feet when put on the spot.

If you lose your train of thought or go blank a lot, this is for you!

The fastest way to improve focus on your feet is to focus on focus.

I’m not talking about eye contact which is less relevant in the virtual world.

I’m talking about focus - focal focus

If you’re looking up while speaking, it’s likely that you’re dissociating and holding your breath.

The same part of our brain that controls eye contact controls deep thinking.

You may be unconsciously sending yourself into deep thought, and we don’t want to be deep in thought when speaking off-the-cuff in important moments. We want to be accessing ideas you already know.

Looking up unconsciously also signals to you and your audience that you don’t know what you want to say.

You know exactly what you want to say. You just need to access it.

🌠 Instead of speaking and thinking at the same time, give yourself permission to pause, micro-pause, which helps you move forward with more intention.

🏙️ When you get the impulse to fling your attention to the ceiling unconsciously, think of a bubble and keep your focus grounded, looking off to the side or down instead of up to the sky.

🌄 Finally, centralize your focus on the screen. If you use notes, keep them super high-level and at the top center of your screen instead of switching to an extra monitor or shifting your focus.

Consolidate your focus in a way that helps you feel comfortable and safe (you can even cover anyone on the screen you find intimidating).

And avoid over-indexing facial expressions by looking at every face - this splinters your focus and makes you over-prioritize how you’re being perceived.

Protect your focus. Preserve your focus. Focus your focus by steadying your gaze.

Follow for more speaking tips! And let me know how it goes!