You imagine that you have to get through your speech without forgetting a word.

You imagine that you'll bomb if the technology fails.

You imagine that you can't use notes.

You imagine that being on stage holds you to the highest standards of excellence.

As the imaginary pressure builds, the likelihood that you'll deliver a stellar performance decreases…

All because you imagine you have to be perfect.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to serve your audience with the best possible presentation.

But even the great Winston S. Churchill forgot his important closing line in front of the House of commons.

Laurence Olivier forgot his lines during and concocted a reason to leave the stage to look them up. He returned with the audience none the wiser.

Nobody's perfect.

And nobody expects you to be.

Stop imagining that you have to be super-human on stage.

If the technology, your wardrobe, or your memory fails, smile, own the situation, fix it work around it, and keep going.

Your audience will admire your grace under pressure … and they won't even know the pressure is imaginary!