Fear of Public Speaking › Circle of Excellence

Circle of Excellence for Fear of Public Speaking

In short: The circle of excellence is a spatial anchor: you imagine a circle on the floor, fill it with a resourceful state, and step into it whenever you need that state. Here is how to apply this neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) technique to the fear of speaking in front of a group, step by step.

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Why fear of public speaking sticks

Fear of Public Speaking often runs on an automatic inner sentence like "Everyone will see me shake and think I'm incompetent". Circle of Excellence works on the structure of that experience rather than arguing with it, which can give you room to respond differently. Context: this most often shows up in public speaking.

Steps

  1. Imagine a circle on the floor in front of you. Give it a color, and maybe a sound.
  2. Recall a time you felt the state you'd need for the fear of speaking in front of a group: confident, calm, or focused.
  3. When that feeling is strong, step into the circle and let the feeling fill it.
  4. Step out, shake it off, and repeat with another memory to stack the state.
  5. Think of the coming situation, then step into the circle and notice the state return.
  6. Imagine picking up the circle and taking it with you into the real situation.

Example script

"My circle is gold. I remember being truly confident, and as it peaks I step in. The circle holds it. Whenever I need it, I step in again."

The reframe

Old frame: "Everyone will see me shake and think I'm incompetent"

New frame: The audience wants me to do well, nerves are energy, and most of what I feel is invisible to them.

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Other NLP techniques for fear of public speaking

Circle of Excellence for other problems

Related techniques

Anchoring · Future Pacing · Swish Pattern

FAQ

Does circle of excellence work for fear of public speaking?

Many people find circle of excellence a useful structured way to reflect on the fear of speaking in front of a group, but there is little rigorous scientific evidence that NLP techniques work better than chance. Treat it as an experiment: try it a few times and keep what helps.

How long does it take?

Most people can run through these 6 steps in 5 to 15 minutes. Repeating the exercise over several days usually matters more than doing it once perfectly.

What is a good reframe for fear of public speaking?

Instead of "Everyone will see me shake and think I'm incompetent", try: The audience wants me to do well, nerves are energy, and most of what I feel is invisible to them.

Is this the same as therapy?

No. This is a self-help exercise from neuro-linguistic programming. If fear of public speaking is seriously affecting your work, health, or relationships, an evidence-based approach such as cognitive behavioral therapy with a licensed professional is a better first step.

What should I try if this doesn't help?

Try a related technique such as Anchoring, Future Pacing, Swish Pattern, or one of the other approaches for fear of public speaking listed on this page.

Fear of Public Speaking Script Pack ($19), coming soon
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Background

Developed in NLP by John Grinder and Judith DeLozier; a classic NLP Practitioner exercise.

Sources and further reading

Honest note: Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a popular personal-development approach, but its scientific evidence base is limited and it is widely criticized as unsupported (Sturt et al., 2012). These exercises are self-reflection tools, not therapy or medical advice. If a problem is seriously affecting your life, please talk to a licensed professional.

Last updated 2026-10-16