By James Chase

Have you ever wanted to become a public speaker? Reaching the point where you feel both comfortable and excited in front of an audience doesn’t usually happen overnight—it’s a journey, and like any meaningful goal, it unfolds in stages.

Just like anything we hope to accomplish in life, there's a natural process involved. When an idea is conceived, it needs time before it can become reality. Think of pregnancy—it takes nine months for a baby to develop and be born. That period is called the gestation period. And the same principle applies to our goals and dreams. It’s known as the Law of Gestation.

When you have a desire to achieve something, it begins with an idea—like an egg. But an egg alone won’t create life. That idea needs to be nurtured and paired with action before anything can grow. Ever had a great idea, only to see someone else bring it to life later? They didn’t just think of it—they took the idea and acted on it. They stuck with it long enough to carry it through its unique gestation period.

This is the tricky part: not all dreams have the same timeline. Some goals might take months. Others, years. And often, we give up right before something was about to shift.

That’s why understanding the Law of Gestation is so important—especially when things aren’t moving as quickly as we’d like. Just because you can’t see results yet doesn’t mean nothing is happening. If you stay committed and don’t quit, that dream is developing. And when the time is right, it will be born.

Let’s go back to public speaking for a moment. The gestation period for becoming a confident speaker looks different for everyone. Mine was definitely unique to me.

At first, I thought the desire alone would be enough. That it would just “happen” one day. But nothing really shifted until my desire became strong enough, and I was emotionally invested enough, to start growing. Once I truly committed, the process kicked in—and for me, it took five years to reach the level I was aiming for.

So—what is your goal?
What dream is quietly forming inside you?

Whatever it is, trust the process. Stay with it. And remember: just because you don’t see the outcome yet doesn’t mean it’s not coming. It’s just not time yet.

Keep going.