Time Management and Public Speaking

The time management tutorial was the one that spoke to me on a personal level the most, as I have always struggled not with the concept itself, but with the execution. As quite the procrastinator, I often state the anthem of the lazy––"I work my best under pressure, and there's no pressure yet." Often I feel overwhelmed by everything I have to do, and therefore just put it off until I'm pulling multiple all nighters in a row. Clearly in need of some time management. What helps me the most is breaking things down into smaller sections. This makes everything a more manageable bite, and I'm less overwhelmed. It's also very important to write everything down so I can visually see everything that needs to get done. These two concepts work simultaneously to create a useful time management system for me. What the tutorial focused on that I thought was useful was the 80/20 theory. This seemed like another way of prioritizing. Often I get bogged down with the "80%" and therefore don't do the best I can do on the "20%," only fueling my hatred of busy work. So I thought what the speaker said about prioritizing was useful. I also liked the idea of the red/yellow/green marking. It pseudo-inspired me to walk around with a red square on my forehead whenever I'm up and walking before 10 in the morning. I also like what he said about one's "einstein hour." I definitely think mine is in the evening, between 7 and 9pm.

The biggest thing I took away from the public speaking tutorial was the array of cold openings she used. For some reason public speaking (as long as I'm the one giving the presentation) has never been a major issue for me, but I do tend to start it a little awkwardly. What started as a tool to make me seem relatable and laid-back, has now become a hindrance because I can't stop it. I always start sort of awkwardly--I never learned another way! I like the options she teaches, as they do seem casual (in a good way) yet bold, and confident.