Why Rehearsing a Fight Can Make You a Better Vlogger

How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?

If you've seen Fight Club, you know the line. Tyler Durden would argue, not much. And while I'm not suggesting anyone go start an underground brawl to level up their content, there is a real skill hiding in that idea, especially if you want to start a vlog.

I don't want to encourage anyone to become an angry, fighting jerk as a way to get good on camera. But there’s something here.

The Conversation Before the Conversation

Here's what happens for me personally. When I have to have an uncomfortable conversation with an employee, a relative, someone in my personal life, or even a client, I spend a lot of time having that conversation with myself first. I think about what they might say back. I think about how I'm going to stay composed. I think about how to steer things so the conversation actually goes well.

Why It Works

Uncomfortable conversations and vlogs share the same challenge: you have to say something clearly, stay composed, and keep going even when it doesn't come out perfectly. If you've already trained that muscle by preparing for the hard talks in your life, you're further ahead than you think.

This isn't just a personal quirk, either. Stanford researchers studying mental rehearsal found that running through something in your head helps prepare your brain for action, which is why athletes and performers lean on it so heavily.

Essentially, I'm rehearsing.

If that sounds familiar, there’s good news. That habit is one of the best warmups you can have for vlogging, because the rehearsal process is almost identical.

Check my original LinkedIn post here.

How I Turn Rehearsal Into a Vlog

Here's the process I use for my own scripts:

1. Write it out fast. I use voice to text dictation to get my thoughts down quickly, without overthinking the wording.

2. Rehearse once or twice. I read the script, then run it a couple of times to the camera before I hit record for real.

3. Just start delivering. No stopping to be perfect. I keep going.

4. Fix mistakes in the moment. When I mess up, I take a step back and think about what I said wrong. Then I redo just that sentence from where I left off and keep moving.

That last step is the one that saves the most time. You don't need to start over every time you stumble. You pick up right where you left off, the same way you'd recover in a tough conversation when a sentence doesn't land the way you meant it.