Lessons from 100 days of public speaking challenge

I finished my 100 days of public speaking challenge two months ago. It took me this long to sit down and write about it.

It was a normal day. I was walking home from Koteshwar to Pepsicola after work. I normally talk to myself when I am alone, and that day I was talking about how to improve my speaking. Suddenly, I realized I could improve faster if I spoke in front of strangers.

So I handed my phone to a person on the road and tried to record. I froze. I forgot my words and kept wondering what he was thinking about me. I had a fear of judgment.

I posted that video anyway on social media. That was the day I started my 100 days of public speaking challenge↗. I was inspired by an Indian guy, Rahul Basavaraj↗.

The day someone said no

I think it was day 9. As usual, I asked a stranger to hold my phone and record a video, but he refused. He walked away saying nothing. That was my first rejection in the challenge, and it felt terrible.

I kept getting rejections in between.

But instead of feeling bad for a long time, I went to the next person. Luckily, he recorded my video. That day I learned that it’s not about rejection or failure. It’s always about the next step. Either you stop, or you keep going.

The compliment I still remember

There were days when I thought of quitting the challenge because it would take courage to ask the stranger, find something to say, and most importantly I couldn't break the streak. But my friends, family and people online kept praising and sharing encouraging words in comments and DMs. That gave me the motivation to continue the journey.

Somehow, I improved. I spoke with patience. I became more confident.

I didn’t gain a huge number of followers. But throughout the journey, I collected over 1 million views. Out of 120+ people, 12-15 refused to record the video.

What I learned

1. It’s not embarrassing. Nothing is embarrassing or cringe unless you think of it in a negative way. Asking a stranger to hold the phone, or failing to deliver the speech, was part of the process. I kept doing it until I got better.
2. Rejection is not the end. Rejection and failure are part of any goal. What matters is the next step you take after it.
3. Consistency matters. There is no shortcut to any goal. You have to go through every step, one day at a time.
4. 100 days is not enough. People say it takes 21 days to build a habit. I don’t believe it. Even 100 days is not enough if you really want to build a habit and improve. It takes a lot of time and effort.
5. Content is king. Someone may speak really well, but if they don’t have good content (what to say), it doesn’t matter. Work on your content as much as your speaking.
6. Build in public. It is the best way to grow and learn. It forces you to stay accountable, and it brings feedback and an audience.

If I started again, what would I do differently?

First, I would make a proper plan before starting: what to speak, how to speak, and where to speak.

I would go to different locations and meet people from different backgrounds. I would not speak just for the sake of posting. I would speak to improve my speaking in the best way possible.

I would also record for longer. During the challenge, I used to say a quote and end the video. Each video was only 20-30 seconds. Next time, I would try to speak for at least 2 minutes. I would be more organized.

Start today

So at the end, I will say this: start now. It can be a business idea in your mind, or a skill you want to build. Just start.

Today, record 30 seconds of yourself talking about anything. You don’t have to post it. Then challenge yourself to stay consistent for at least 100 days. Start small, make it public, stay consistent, and keep improving.

Thank you.