# Did I always need as much preparation before speaking?

By [Craig Coffee](/craig-coffee)

No. The amount of preparation changed as I got better. What I described doing before calls earlier in my journey was much more deliberate than what I needed later.

## What did the earlier preparation involve?

In one call, I described spending thirty minutes beforehand working on how I felt. I might lie on the floor, on a couch or in a chair and picture how I wanted to feel when the call was done. That was part of what I mean by [an Intentional Dream](/mental-rehearsal-before-speaking).

I pictured finishing the call and feeling excited. Then going to get a cup of coffee or doing something enjoyable afterward. The feeling was what I was working on.

## What became shorter?

I did that preparation repeatedly before calls. Then, once I got better, I would only do it for a few minutes. When I got really good, I was mainly doing it for a huge call. That is the progression I described.

I still cared about the routine and how I felt going in. The routine had changed as I gained experience.

I've also said that most of [what I keep doing](/keeping-my-speaking-practice-going) has become subconscious after so many years. I still use it. I don't have to describe a long preparation before every ordinary conversation to explain that.

## Related answers

- [How do I prepare myself before a difficult phone call?](/stuttering-phone-calls)
- [How did I handle seven work presentations over two days?](/stuttering-at-work-presentations)

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