Never in New Clothes
The “Back to Basics” Series
“Never compete in new clothes!”
—Joan Brown, American Speech Arts Teacher and Distinguished Toastmaster
Next time you watch a professional football game, take a close look at the ball. Chances are, it won’t look shiny and new. In fact, it will look old and worn. But don’t let that fool you. It’s a gem of a ball, one of many specially seasoned and processed for the game.
Quarterbacks, such as Eli Manning, have ensured that every ball they throw will feel like an old friend, and perform consistently with no surprises. You’ll never see a brand-new football thrown in an NFL game. Shiny new footballs are for autographs. It would seem the Quarterback and the Speech Teacher both agree that New Tools are not welcome in actual competition. The pros favor competing with well worn, comfortably familiar tools…
Not new shoes, which have slippery soles… Not new suits, which have embarrassing labels on the sleeves and the pockets sewn shut — pants too. Not new shirts, with uncomfortable labels still stuck to the inside. Not new notebooks which, with their stiff opening and closing, are accidents-in-waiting. Not new pens, with their sticky caps. Not new — well you get the idea. I learned by losing. I failed to take Miss Brown at her word and went to State with an exceptional new outfit. (Beautiful jacket, pleated skirt… Yum!)
The Extemp finals were awesome! But the Impromptus were marred by the fact that the new skirt had the pleats still stitched in place. In mid-speech, I noticed that… For that split second, I was thinking of my skirt, not the material and not the audience. That’s all it took to wander off topic for a moment. Chalk up a Loss.
Losing in the finals will make you stop and evaluate things. Miss Brown knew. So, does Eli Manning. It’s not superstition, not a jinx; just the fact that competition requires your full attention. Anything that can disturb your concentration on the work at hand is suspect.
So, though you may have a great new suit, and a terrific new pair of shoes, let ‘em have a fair debut outside the pitch, the presentation or “the finals!” Never go in new clothes!
Applications
1. Personally
Maybe you’re going before the Board to report on a new initiative… Great! It’ll be good exposure and let you get your feet wet in a new venue. Do you really want to slip as you walk to the lectern in your jazzy new shoes? So, leave them on the shelf until they’ve been tested on pavement for a while. Season the new suit until the stitches and labels are gone. Show up in “old blue” and allow yourself to concentrate fully on the tough questions from the financial guy without any side attention stealers. The presentation will go well, and you’ll feel better about wearing the new duds out to dinner!
2. At Home
That stiff new glove? It sure looks good — until the ball bounces out of it on a tough play at second. Maybe it should stay at home until the son or daughter has seasoned it and gotten familiar with the grip and reach at home or in practice…
Have you got a message for the congregation? Make sure the clothes and the tools have some experience before the big public moment. You’ve seen enough uncomfortable speakers fumble with fear, notes or forgetfulness… Eliminate one more distraction and make yourself more likely to succeed!
3. At Work
OK, so it’s the finals. Your team has worked on this for weeks and everyone is tight. Make sure you discuss what everyone plans to wear ahead of time. Don’t let the good work be overshadowed by a wardrobe malfunction, a sartorial collision or a price label on the underside of a sleeve… Put the team’s wardrobe through a rehearsal too! Yes, it’s a small thing. And in the finals, it’s the small things that add up to the small difference between you and the guys in second place.
Small niggly details. They make you crazy, and they make the difference between appearing carefree and focused, or just a little distracted. Your choice. But if you want to nail every play, and every nuance, never ever go to the big show in new clothes!
Dessert:
Since 1938, professional baseball players and umpires would never think of using a brand new, untreated baseball in a major league game. The ball’s too shiny and slick for getting a good grip. So, all new game baseballs are seasoned with “Magic Mud” from a secret swamp in New Jersey. Watch the magic of Lena Blackburne’s Baseball Rubbing Mud.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
