End the Procrastination
Commitment
Originally you came up with a good idea to do something about your fluency, so your original commitment or willingness to act was there and probably strong. Think about what you committed to. Was it realistic and was it something that you could reasonably achieve within a time frame? Were you trying to achieve too much too soon? Did you expect to see major changes without the framework of good self-belief, great technique and friendly support? You see, all the reasons we fail to achieve our fluency goals are entangled and become such an anchor to our road to recovery that, in most cases, we drop the ball and fail.
Write your ideas for self-improvement down and make sure they are realistic, things that you can fairly easily achieve on a daily basis. Write down and highlight small gains and successes. Celebrate and acknowledge each achievement, no matter how small, because over time they will swell to see real change for the best.
Support
When you think of your original plan it is often easy to dismiss the importance of others. It is important to surround yourself with like-minded people, people who are trying to improve their situation in similar ways to yourself. Seek out support groups like the Australian Speak Easy Association, British Stammering Association, Toastmasters and ‘practice buddies’ via Skype around the world. These groups of people will help you achieve your fluency goals both short and long term.
Understanding
Just get yourself out there. If people don’t know what you are trying to achieve with your fluency, then of course there will be a lack of understanding from others. Tell people what you are trying to achieve. Start with the people you know well, your family and loved ones. Their understanding and support will help you maintain your own focus on your goals.
Technique
Of course the best and most committed individual without a proven, speech pathology-backed technique would be hard-pressed to achieve success. Seek out the very best evidence-based technique, something that you know works, and commit to it. Be positive about it and use it. Practise at every opportunity and allow yourself the time to practise. Never allow your new technique to become a negative. You know your new technique works. You have had success with the technique and it has provided you with a tool for the management of your fluency. Even if you go through rough periods, it is not the fault of the technique. In many ways, negative thinking drives our dysfluency and eats away at many positive changes we set in place.
