Pageant Preparation: What Do I Do First.

One of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music. I love the scene where Maria (Julie Andrews) asks the children to sing along with her, and their response is that they don’t know how to sing. Shocked at the very thought that anyone couldn’t do such a basic skill she “starts at the very beginning” and teaches the children the simple abc’s of music. Maria explains that these simple steps are the tools upon which all songs are built. “When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything”. Within minutes, the children are singing beautiful songs with complicated rhythms and harmonies. But they had to master the basics first. Pageantry is no different but it will take longer than a 3 minute song :). For the most part, you can’t just grab a dress out of your closet, arrive at the pageant and expect to have a winning experience. There are basic steps that need to be addressed first before you move on to the more complicated areas. So let’s start at the beginning with the A,B,C's of what to do when you have made the decision to enter a pageant. A - Acquire Knowledge There are two main areas where you’ll want to spend your time educating yourself.

• Knowledge about yourself at a deeper level
• Knowledge of the pageant system you have chosen to participate in

Self knowledge is the foundation for your on-stage introduction, personal interview and platform development. It’s critical to know WHY you are doing what you’re doing. To know why you do what you do means you need to know what you value in your life. And it’s not just enough to have a list of values. Your power comes from a prioritized list of values and knowing what means the most to you. This can take some time so allow plenty of time for this exploration. Learning as much as you can about the pageant system you’re competing in will greatly increase your chances of obtaining your desired results. What are the areas of competition? How are they scored? What is the look for this particular pageant? What is expected of the winner? These are just a sample of some of the questions you need to find answers to in order to feel properly prepared. B - Build a Plan There are detailed logistics involved in preparing for a pageant and I cover these areas in my free special report 10 Insider Secrets to Winning. The most important question you need to ask yourself is how much time and money are you willing to invest in this endeavor? Once you quantify both the time and money you have, get to work and create a detailed plan of how to reach your goal. C - Create a Team The way you can keep yourself on task and prevent procrastination is to create your own dream team to help you in the areas where you need assistance. They will keep you accountable to what you say you’re going to do. Which of the following  scenarios are you more likely to follow through with an action: #1: You verbally tell someone else what you’re planning to do, knowing that each time you see them, they’ll ask you for an update, or #2: You keep your plans to yourself depending in your level of self discipline to make it happen. Number one, of course. It’s also more fun to celebrate with a group of people when you achieve your goal, and they can be your biggest cheerleaders when you encounter challenges. This is where you benefit from working with a pageant coach. A qualified coach can work with you to evaluate what your needs are, help you find professional services that you need and keep you on track. To receive the greatest benefits from your coaching experience, it’s very important you feel comfortable and connected with your coach. Beyond The Pageant The above ABC’s of pageantry are the very same steps to use when starting any new project in your life. Ask yourself the 5 following questions to get you started. What do I want from this situation? How would I benefit from the results of this activity? How am I going to make this happen? What is standing in my way? Who can help me achieve what I want? Rhonda Shappert September 7, 2009, 20:39 Copyright © 2009 Winning Through Pageantry, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.