I aspire to be as good a speaker (better) than Jeffrey Gitomer, Seth Godin, Steve Jobs, and Randy Pausch in their prime. Pretty high aspiration, don't you think? It's achievable. It's not a fantasy. The difference between a fantasy and aspiration is action. That is why I know it's achievable. I take action on this aspiration EVERY day. Every day, I get closer to reaching my goal. Continual practice illustrates persistence. Persistence has more to do with success than any other trait.

Why did I pick these individuals? Because they are the best at what I aspire to be. If I want to be the best, I need to study the best.

I watch at least one presentation by one of these individuals weekly. Many are available on their own sites or on YouTube. If not, I purchase a DVD of a presentation. I watch it more than once. I have the audio on my iPod and listen to it while I'm taking a walk, at the gym, or commuting to a client. They are inspirational, motivational, and darn good!

I look at their recommendations of what inspires them to be great.

• Jeffrey Gitomer provides a weekly sales tip in video format. I watch his stance, his choice of words, and his use of vocal variety to make a point. He conveys a single lesson in each 2 minute video. I look at my presentation and see how long it takes to get to the point!
• Jeffrey Gitomer recommended Toastmasters in his book, Little Green Book of Getting Your Way. I already belonged to Toastmasters. I didn't quit once I achieved the first, second or third levels. I realized that by attending the meetings, I use the power of active listening to amateur creative speakers. The first-time speakers (the ice-breaker speech) have different backgrounds and topics than I had thought. That sparks ideas for speeches. Their choice of words to describe their world made me think wider about the choice of words that I use in presentations. One can learn from beginners just as much as from experts.
• Seth Godin recommended the book Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds in one of his presentations. I purchased the book and realized how crappy my powerpoint presentations had been. I changed my approach towards preparation, design, and process. I was overcomplicating my slides with graphics, charts, and bulleted lists. By making them simpler, it made the presentation clearer and to the point. I create a word handout that provides details so others can listen and absorb without worrying about taking notes. It makes a world of difference. I now read Garr's blog daily...along with Seth's.
• Seth Godin's presentations are available for anyone to watch. His slides are high-quality images that hit you between the eyes as he makes his points. Just imagine the imagery of a unicorn in a balloon factory. He has two slides, one of a balloon sculpture and the other of a unicorn. Everyone laughs and gets the point immediately. These slides have emotional appeal.
• Steve Jobs is a master describer of facts. It wasn't that the iPod had available megabytes to do whatever you wanted...the iPod could hold a huge number of songs! He took the abstract fact and added concreteness to which anyone could relate. I changed any slides of facts to concrete images. Facts and figures are forgotten, but stories...good ones...ones describing possibilities...are retold.
• Randy Pausch didn't have a mission. Yet his "Last Lecture" titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", was so powerful that it spread like wildfire on the Internet. His passion came through and tugged at your emotionally-filled heart and soul. I purchased the DVD and watch it at least once a month. He inspires me to reach my dream of being a great speaker. He motivates me knowing that you only have so much time to achieve your goals. The worst part...you really don't know how much time you have so you had better start acting on achieving them daily. His slides, stance, and vocal variety inspired many in and out of the technology world.

I wasn't told about any of these sources. I sought them out. I had an aspiration and the desire to achieve my dream. Once I found one good educator...he/she leads or led me to another. I read, I watch, I listen. I adjust what I've done, learning from my mistakes. I practice...continually (pity Scarlet...my first audience).

1. What is your aspiration? Is it to be a great writer, speaker, developer, or architect?
2. Who is the best at what you want you aspire to reach? Is it someone that you work with or someone that appears in magazines, or someone that designed a great tool?
3. What access do you have to their works? Can you watch, read, or attend a conference they are attending?
4. What do you own to re-read, re-play, or re-watch showing them in action? So much information is available free. You just have to google it. It won't come to you without your taking action to find it.
5. What do you do to better yourself daily? Everyone has some time to dedicate to themselves. Prioritize just 15 minutes a day to work towards reaching your aspiration.

Will I reach what I aspire to be? Well, I have a better chance than not. What's your answer about yourself? I gave you ideas to find sources and how to use them. It's up to you to take action.

What do you aspire to achieve? What are you doing about it?

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Pat Ferdinandi, Chief Thought Translator