One of my sticking points is I tend to speak quickly. This is partly out of nerves, but also because I've simply done it all my life. In the past I would try to tell myself to slow down, but I often forgot and it felt stilted until I learned the trick I'm going to share with you. I recently learned this from David Deida in a workshop and it's done wonders for me.

Here it is: Expand your awareness to fill the room.

This means be aware of where people are and what's going on. Think of yourself as Jason Bourne, who notices whether the guy in the corner has a gun and how many people he might have to take down in a fight. Imagine you have eyes in the back of your head and can see a 360 degree view. Notice the sounds.

Think of your awareness as a field that expands to fill all available space.

This does not mean break eye contact or lose attention on the person you're talking to, just be aware of what's going on around you.

The natural result is you slow down just a touch without it feeling like you're putting on an act. I've noticed that this will even slow down my pace when walking.