Let’s start a discussion on feeling confident and comfortable when speaking on IG stories.This was a question that one of my clients asked me, and I think it might be relevant to chat about this. Specifically, they said:“The blocks that are coming up for me is I want to feel confident and comfortable with speaking on stories. I’m finding the written content to be a lot easier for me”Let’s chat –
- First, what are your thoughts and feelings towards talking on video IG stories at the moment?
- Second, what are the specific challenges that come up for you when it comes to video IG stories?
- Third, what are helpful thoughts or practical tips that have made it easier for you to start doing more video IG stories?
Wow… where do I start with this? I’ve come a really long way. In the beginning (April/May this year), I wasn’t comfortable speaking on stories at all, but at the same time I recognized how powerful it is for others to see and hear me. I imagine that’s why anyone here considers it in the first place.1) Initial thoughts:
- Before: I wanted every video to be a perfect masterpiece.
- Before: I couldn’t stand seeing or hearing myself.
- Now: So it has been 5 months, and half the time I find that picking up the camera and recording is much easier than sitting down to write out my thoughts.
2) Challenges:
- Wanting to and thinking that I should edit my videos. It’ll be better if I cut out this part. I liked part 1 of take A and part 2 of take B.
- Feeling like it took a lot of time – and it did when I wanted to edit it, have multiple takes, and looked at every single detail.
- Worrying about how I looked and sounded. I haven’t washed my hair in too long. My eyeliner is smudged. I have a pimple.
3) Helpful thoughts and tips:
- Understanding what my people need to see and hear. My audience isn’t looking for perfect videos, masterpieces, or the high-powered motivational videos. They’re looking for a fellow introvert who matches their energy. For example, super loud and in-your-face coaches may have values and messages that resonate with me, but I know I will tire out being in their presence.
- Letting go of perfection… the perfectionism towards videos came from how I operate in my day job where one 2-minute video may go through a lot of planning and many many rounds of revisions. I felt like I was doing something wrong by not treating my IG stories the same way. This is my business, not my day job, and I’m not trying to create masterpieces. I’m sharing something that will be up for 24 hours and maybe it will make it onto my feed later
- For me, a lot of my videos are now impromptu, but when I do have notes, I allow myself to rely on the notes. I have even explicitly stated on video that I’m looking at notes. Unless we’re teaching others how to speak, we don’t have to be amazing at speaking. Having the content either in your mind or on paper is already more than half the work of showing up on video.
- Asking myself what small step will help me expand my comfort zone? Then doing that. I got better every single day. I even ended up doing 30 consecutive days of video to prove to myself it’s possible for me. I broke it down into really small steps… At first, it was just opening the camera app, going to video, and getting used to seeing myself on the screen. Then, I recorded without saying anything, and after that, I would record whatever came to mind in the moment. I think I didn’t like my recorded voice very much either, but over time, I got used to it. Now it’s just my voice. Reflecting on it now, it was probably overwhelming because it was overstimulating.
- Maximum 2 takes. If I really don’t like either one, I’ll walk away and record again later. But usually when I come back to it later, the videos are good enough. Coming from a judgmental space, my videos will never be good enough.
- Affirmations. My presence is beautiful. This one helped me let go of how I look or sound. I am insightful, and I choose to share to help others make their lives better. This one is empowering and reminds me no one is forcing me to do this. It’s more fun that way.
So overall, it wasn’t really the “how” of being on video but the shifting of my energy to calm, comfortable, and confident when I show up.
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