Grateful - 8 Feb: Training & Presence

After days of preparation, I finally completed conducting two days of online training. I am totally worn out by now. For today, I am thankful for the following:

• Being calm. I was calm and composed throughout the day, and much of this was due to my pre-training routine before the training started. These included a nice morning walk, a slow breakfast, systematically going through my mental checklist to ensure all training administration was in order, and making sure my personal logistics were taken care of (eg, having my drinks and snacks prepared) before class began. I have drilled these routines into myself so thoroughly that they have become second nature.

• Being present. Starting the day slow and deliberate allowed me to be fully in the moment during class contact time. I was able to share my experiences and thoughts easily whenever questions were raised, as my mind was not distracted by non-training-related matters. The learners subscribed to the course, and the least I could do was to ensure they took away a good and positive learning experience. I am glad that I was present in that moment to do that.

• Deeply fulfilling. It was non-stop engagement from the morning: conducting training, facilitating activities, administering games, ensuring training admin ran smoothly, conducting assessments, marking, and doing oral recovery for some learners. I ended class only at 7pm feeling deeply fulfilled, knowing that my learners had had positive experiences over the two days. The icing of the cake came to me during lunch when another trainer texted me to share that one of her ex-students (who was in my class) said she really enjoyed my session.

I suppose only trainers can truly appreciate and understand the amount of preparation required to deliver a good session. This is probably similar to many things in life - that behind every success (be it an event, activity, or occasion), the amount of preparation is tremendous. Every effort put in contributes to the final experience delivered.