When I was in high school, I competed in speech tournaments. In my last year I focused on the delivery of speeches rather than just the content of them.

Before the second tournament that year my speech coach told me to practice my speech 5 times a day.

I didn’t.

I knew I wouldn’t practice 5 times a day, so I didn’t practice at all.

Then I realized that was dumb. Perhaps I wouldn’t practice 5 times a day, but I could practice once.

I started with once a day and eventually worked up to three.

I think that was one of the main practices God used to help me advance to the finals in a couple events.

What’s the point?

To quote Alex Hormozi, “Do whatever you will keep doing.”

Or to put it another way (as Peterson does), “What could you do that you would do?”

When practicing communication skills it’s important to consider what you will keep doing and to reduce the scope of your practice if you need to.

It’s better to do a smaller effort if you couldn’t keep up a greater one. And in my experience, if you keep on with that smaller effort, it grows naturally.

Josh