What ensures more success…how present we are or how prepared we are?

There’s a common theory out there that to be successful in anything you must prepare, practice, and repeat. More hours of preparation lead to more success. This may be true when we want to master a new skill like playing an instrument or learning a language. However, over preparing or over practicing in most of our day-to-day endeavors and in our businesses often has the reverse affect. It limits our potential, our impact and our creativity.

Have you ever been to a conference, TED event or workshop with a variety of speakers? Have you noticed that the ones that often impact us the strongest, the ones we remember, are the ones that touch us. They go beyond our intellect and inspire us; they move us. We relate to them. They impact us and leave an imprint. And yet often, they are not as slick or polished as others. Others might be intellectually stimulating and fun to watch, but they do not have the same kind of impact.

What is that pointing to?

There is something profound and powerful when we show up, PRESENT, CONNECTED and REAL.

Our willingness to be ourselves, in real-time, connected to the person or group in front of us, has the ability to influence and transform.

If you take a moment and consider this, I think you’ll see the truth of it. Influence, credibility, connection has less to do with being polished and articulate and more to do with our ability to be present and real.

Think of the people you respect, you love to be around, you resonate with…there is something beyond their intellect, their professionalism, that draws you in.

I’ve seen this for myself. When I’ve been too prepared and rehearsed it can lack depth and feeling. In a way, I’m more connected to the content of what I’m sharing, than I am to the person or the group. Yet, I’ve found sometimes when I’m less articulate, even stumble, but I’m more real, people respond more enthusiastically.

Why is that?

When we over-prepare, we often come across as rehearsed, inauthentic, or worse, our ideas and thoughts feel stale. When we follow our plan blindly, we can miss the opportunity to connect to what’s alive in the moment. We miss the opportunity for fresh ideas & fresh thinking to come forward.

People often argue that being rehearsed eases their mind and they do better. What if doing better, accessing our best thinking in the moment, had more to do with being comfortable in the unknown versus being completely rehearsed? What if being in over your head or being in the unknown is the key to accessing new levels of potential?

Our minds are designed to rise to the occasion and give us creative ideas and solutions to any problem or to the task at hand.

It is through BEING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT that we are able to access FRESH THINKING, FRESH IDEAS and CONNECT more powerfully to others.

When you become more comfortable being in the unknown, being less rehearsed, you’ll experience for yourself, your innate ability to connect, have fresh thinking, tap into new creativity and share with others in a way that brings new life to your message, your service, your ideas.

Listen in to this week’s video as I share a couple of client examples where they let go of their need to over prepare, to have a detailed agenda or plan and what happened for them in the process.