Craig Coffeehttps://usedtostutter.com/does-speaking-preparation-get-easier# 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) [Find your question](/questions)

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.