Um.... You know, like, those filler words.... uh... we all, like... use when we speak... are uh... practically... like, the worst!

Almost every person who speaks uses filler words of one kind or another.

It's mostly done out of habit and without us even realizing that we're doing it.

When it comes to your podcast... those filler words can really become, like, irritating to your, um.... uh... those people who listen to your show!

So how do you cut out those habitual filler words?

That's what this show is all about.

Most of you don't know my whole story. But that's OK, I'm about to fill you in on some of it.

For over about 20 years I spent my life serving as a Pastor in a local church.

The only reason that's important is that if you add up all the times I've spent before audiences, speaking, teaching, preaching, leading meetings, and all that... it's probably pretty close to the amount of words a woman uses in one day.

Almost. :)

So I've had a lot of practice learning how NOT to use filler words.

That doesn't mean I'm in any way... uhh.... cured of the problem.

It just means that I've learned some tricks to help me keep the filler words from filling those gaps in my speech that often get filled by filler words.

And I'm about to tell you my top 6 ways to get rid of them.

Getting rid of filler words

• Tip #1: Assess your use of filler words

You can't get rid of something or stop doing something if you're not fully aware of its existence. So here are some ways you can go about analyzing how much you use filler words, and what filler words you're using.

1. Ask someone close to you to point out how you use filler words. And don't get angry with them... you asked.
2. Start paying attention to your conversations and make note of the frequency of your filler words.
3. Make a mental list of the words you use to fill in spaces.
4. Prioritize those words: Which one do you want to get rid of first? Make a choice and file it away in your brain as the first candidate for your "Filler word elimination project."

Once you've got this figured out, you're ready to move on to tip #2.

• Tip #2: Take a moment to understand the REASONS behind your filler words

It's obvious that we don't use filler words because they are needed. So why do we use them?

1. At times, our brains need time to catch up with our mouths.
2. In other situations, we use them to communicate that we're still thinking. "Well, uhhhhhhh... I'm not too sure about that. Hmmmm.... can I get back to you?"
3. But a third reason, and the one I think is most common among podcasters and other public speakers is this: We're uncomfortable with silence.

That last one is HUGE. Silence feels negative to us, especially if we are the ones providing the content everyone else is supposed to listen to (like in a speech... or a podcast).

But the reality is that silence is NOT a negative thing. Appropriately timed and placed silences... like that one, serve to keep attention and accentuate what we're saying.

More on that one in a minute, let's move on to tip #3.

• Tip #3: Prepare more

I learned this one in my own public speaking experience. It's like a math or science formula where one side of the equation always, ALWAYS balances out the other:

More preparation = less filler words

Less preparation = more filler words

So ask yourself, "How prepared am I? Am I ready to record this podcast episode?"

I'm not suggesting that you script out every word of your...