You’re struggling to stay motivated as a public speaker. What can you do to keep your energy up?

In my quest as a public speaker, I turn to books and podcasts for motivation, drawing from the wisdom within. Watching good movies to study the art of storytelling and listen intently to others, believing that a good speaker must first be a good listener. I find solace in nature, which helps me stay grounded and focused. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial, as it keeps mind sharp and motivation high. Public speakers should seek wisdom in every experience, knowing that each lesson learned is an opportunity to grow and inspire. This is my way, my path to staying energized and ready to motivate others.

Recuerda siempre que el importante no eres tú, (aunque seas el protagonista) el importante es tu público. Para ellos seguramente es la primera vez que te escuchan, aunque tú hayas dado la misma conferencia mil veces. Sé respetuoso y sal a darte.

Reconnect with Your Passion: Reflect on why you became a public speaker in the first place. Identify the aspects of public speaking that you are truly passionate about and focus on those elements. Set Clear Goals: Define specific and achievable goals for your public speaking endeavors. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks to make progress more tangible.

Setting smart goals works very well, but if you are loosing motivation what works for me is to put myself in very high energy, either with energetic music, exercising or even dancing alone.

Remind yourself of your why. Stay connected to the communities you serve, the change you want to be and see in the world, and what lights you up. When you can show up authentically and enthusiastically to share your experience and expertise, you can't lose!

This is very common in all careers. I have lost motivation several times. I take time off: it could be a a few hours, a day or a few days and I reflect. I have even tried other things but somehow life leads you back to your passion. I remember the feeling of coaching clients and them succeeding, I remember their feedback. Life has seasons and you need to embrace them. When it rains, it pours. Go back to your why and you will find strength. Another thing you can do is experiment with new product and services. Perhaps a simple tweak could make a difference.

Find your spark. What would you like to achieve from your public speaking journey? Who would you like to impact and why? Keeping your Why close to your heart is important. Ultimately, people may not remember all the points you shared, but they surely would remember how you make them feel. Passion radiates positivity.

Look for a sparring partner. Have someone whom you can trust to bounce ideas and share your thoughts. Take a moment to reflect and express your feelings and thoughts. Else, it could be a mentor or a coach to help identify our blindspots.

One of my slogans is 'Most Fun Wins' if you're having fun so will they. You are leading the experience, you set the tone, the pace, the pitch. I always suggest you start with a warm welcome to unite the room and then I often say I'm so excited to be here to let them know that this is going to be an exciting event. If you can't start well because you're too nervous, then you need technique. Don't waste opportunities and risk a drop in your reputation by not having technique.

Why not try out short form videos that can appeal to your audience? With mobile editing apps capable of producing amazing videos, take videos of yourself speaking, dancing etc. As you do this, you learn an extra skill - video editing. And you also get to understand what makes a video trend.

When I first started standup comedy, I was so scripted. I was memorizing lines and just reciting the bits on stage. I was too focused on what I had to say, and not on what the audience wanted. The audience wanted to have fun! Speaking professionally- we can learn from standup comedians. Because the ones that are outstanding, they feel what the audience is feeling. They interact and relate to the audience. That’s why they are so engaging. For each speaking engagement, try to look for the connection with the audience. Integrate some topics that are fresh or issues that are on their minds. When you do this, not only can you relate to them, you stay more fresh in your talks. Talks become less routine. That’s keeping the fun in our jobs.

Having fun is the only way to do this thing. Public speaking is hard enough to do because you know no matter how well prepared you’re going to be, somebody is looking at you judgementally. (Bars, y’all ??) So have fun. Imagine being that energetic 9 year old version of yourself with a greater vocabulary and a life of experience that you have polished into a talk and just have fun. I know your like, KC I hear you saying that now, but what about a crowd of 200 super savvy, educated, forward thinking engineers? So that I say, they too, were once 9 year olds and they too, like to have fun. So go for the fun factor… it’s ok to be a human being, but let’s not forget to be human.

Let me give it to you straight - If you can't keep your energy up, the audience will feel it from you when you stand in front of them. Emotions transfer. Yes, I just said that. (Bring in the psychology experts if you must...) Energy does not mean you speak rapid and loud. Energy means using the right emotion to deliver the message. I speak professionally in 3 languages. I can tell you - emotion & energy in delivery is important in all 3. You're probably thinking - "Donald, how do you keep your energy, even if you're tired?" I exercise DAILY. Even after a delivery, I hit the gym. And I'm almost 50 yrs old. Exercising keeps me mentally fresh and also physically fit, to bring in and use the right energy when I speak. See you @Gym!

As a public speaker, you share ideas, thoughts and feelings. If things are not working out, talk about your journey. Vulnerability goes a long way. Do not do it because you want clients, do it because it might help someone. Share your struggles and how you are handling them. I have spoken severally about my struggles in life, especially as a father and as a man.

If you are struggling to stay motivated as a public speaker and you need to keep your energy up, create ample time to rest and renew by playing on repeat, one by one, your favourite audio or video of some of your favorite public speakers either in ministry, business, politics, academia etc. You don't need to start off listening, you just need to hear them talking and as you keep hearing them talk and as you hear the varying pitches of their voice and in some cases the resounding laughter or applause of their audience, you'll focus your attention to listen to what they are actually saying and you'll remember what got you stirred and started out in the first place. That's how you find motivation & energy to get up and get on.