INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the reasons you may be so controlling is because you have the desire for everything to be perfect. You may not want people over if your place isn't spotless; you may spend an extra hour scanning a report for typos without finding any. After a while, this kind of behavior doesn't help you or anybody else. In fact, it is only hurting you and holding you back from living your life. Remember that being a perfectionist is a kind of imperfection in itself, and that the sooner you give up the urge to be perfect, the sooner you can move on with your life instead of analyzing every little thing.  Think about it: if you're afraid to have people over because your place isn't perfect, they're much more likely to judge you for not wanting to host than for having a few pillows out of place. Perfectionism slows people down. Though it's great to be thorough, there are diminishing returns. Reading a report over once for typos is responsible; reading it over two or three times is a waste of your time. A lot of people who are controlling need to work on their self-esteem, when it comes down to it. You may be controlling in your friendships or relationships because you feel that people wouldn't like you or wouldn't spend time with you if you didn't tell them every little thing they had to do. You may feel that you're unworthy, and that if you leave people to their own devices, that they may figure out that they don't like you. You need to stop this kind of thinking and realize that you are an amazing and worthy person who just needs to relax a bit. Talking to a therapist or a close friend about your self-esteem issues, anxiety, or any other underlying causes for your controlling behavior can be a big help. This can help you get to the root of the matter that is causing you to be controlling. Another reason you may be controlling is because you are riddled with anxiety, always thinking of the worst thing that can happen in a situation, or being terrified of facing the unknown. If this is the case, then you need to work on relaxing and realizing that it's not the end of the world if you face the unknown. Think of all of the things that can happen in a given situation, not just the absolute worst ones, and you will be far better off. Of course, it can take a long time to manage your anxiety, though yoga, meditation, cutting back on the caffeine, or taking the time to find the root causes of your problems can help. People who are controlling are often obsessed with proving that they have the best idea of how to do things or that they have the correct opinion about absolutely everything under the sun. If you want to be less controlling, then you have to work on letting others be right once in a while, and seeing that it's not the end of the world if you don't know the answer or if someone else has more experience or more insight into a given situation.  Think about it: what's the worst that can happen if you don't know the answer to something? It happens to people all the time. You may think that people will judge you or think you're inferior in some way, but that won't happen. They'll be much more likely, in fact, to think you're flawed if you never admit that you're wrong. Part of not always being right is opening yourself up to vulnerability. Nobody said this would be pleasant, but this is the way to trust people and to show that you're only human. You want people to be able to relate to you, don't you? If you want to stop being controlling, then you have to work on accepting things as they are. Though it's great to see something that needs improvement and to go out and change it, it's another thing to try to micromanage and change every little thing until it's exactly like you want it to be. Work on accepting the general tenor of things at your work, in your home, and in your relationships. Of course, revolutions are started by people who see things that need a major change and work hard to get there. But we're not talking about you being Che Guevara here. We just want you to feel at peace with the situation around you instead of trying to "fix" problems that don't really exist. You may think that planning a project detail by detail or planning your wedding without any help from scratch will make you feel powerful, or maybe even invincible. And sure, there's some strength in being able to fully control a situation. But you know what else you'll feel? Exhausted. Stressed out. Like you can never measure up. Instead, letting other people help out, or even take the reigns, can be the biggest reward of all.  Instead of putting pressure on yourself, you'll learn to love the idea of working with other people to achieve a common goal -- or even to let them work a bit more while you take a break. Start small. You don't have to delegate all of the duties for a major project for work as your first exercise. Instead, let your coworker choose the place where you're going to go for your lunch break. Was that so hard? If not, take a bigger step toward giving up control and see how it feels.

SUMMARY: Stop being a perfectionist. Work on your self-esteem. Work on managing your anxiety. Stop having to be right all the time. Practice acceptance. Know that giving up control can be just as rewarding as taking it.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It’s best to have a plan for how you will introduce yourself so you don’t get lost or confused when you’re on stage. It’s even better if you can write your plan down so you can review it beforehand or refer to it during your presentation. You can write down every sentence if you’d like, especially for practicing the introduction. When it’s time to present, it’s probably best to just write down a few notes or key words to remind you of what you want to say so you don’t just read off your note cards. Practicing your introduction out loud will help you speak with the right intonation and at the right pace so your message will be clear and interesting. You can also time yourself and add or remove certain parts of your introduction until you’ve got it just right. Ask your friend for constructive feedback and advice on how to improve. Practicing out loud will also help you gain confidence. If you don’t have a friend to watch your presentation, record yourself on video and play it back later to refine your presentation skills. It can be uncomfortable to watch yourself on video, but it will help you nail your introduction. You can even record your whole presentation. Keep recording and re-recording until you are happy with it. Then you know the audience will be happy too. You will want to make a good first impression with your introduction, so be sure you know what is expected of you and what might be frowned upon. Research the local culture where you will be speaking: what do they normally wear in the industry there? Do they introduce themselves by first name only, or with their first and last name? Be mindful of international customs too. In some places, it’s not appropriate to use humor. If you are unsure about your audience, leave the humor out. The best resource to learn about the local culture is the locals themselves. If you have a contact where you will be speaking, ask them about customs, dress code, and how humor is usually received. If you don’t know anyone personally, try searching in industry-specific online forums. Find YouTube videos of presentations given in the area that are relevant to your industry.

SUMMARY:
Make a plan and write it down. Rehearse your introduction with a friend. Research the culture where you will present so you don’t offend anyone.