I am certain that life is short which means that you have to make the most out of the time that you have. Comparably, time management plays a vital role in a good speech.
Time is a commodity and can be more valuable than money. Managing your time with a clear plan will help you to spend the currency wisely. Planning requires decision making as a critical element. For example, if you are planning a trip you first have to decide where you want to go. Then you can take the necessary steps to get there and go in the right direction to reach your destination. As you arrive at certain spots it will motivate you to continue your traveling until you reach the next one, and then celebrate your travel progress. Consequently, when you set a destination for your trip – you monitor to ensure that you are traveling in the proper direction. There may be delays such as lane closures, canceled flights, etc., but if you persevere you will reach your destination.
Planning a speech is similar because you must decide where you want to take your listeners and how to get them there. If you are giving a seven-minute speech then plan expressly to introduce your topic and transition into body and middle of your speech within three and a half minutes, and move toward a conclusion which reiterates your previous points in the remaining three and a half minutes. You decide how to use the time to tell your story and to bring out emotion which hopefully ends on a happy note, unless that was not your intent. Maybe you want to leave your audience/listeners with something to contemplate deeply. Also, keep in mind that like a trip may not go according to plan that a speech may veer away from your plans as well. The best advice is to breathe, pause if necessary, then stay calm and continue speaking. If you do not panic you will make it to the end, although, you might feel that you won’t.
A well-structured speech has a beginning, middle, and ending. If you spend too much time at the beginning you will run out of time before you had an opportunity to development your story and deliver your points. A great thing to do is rehearsing the speech and timing it. This method provides a chance to work out the kinks prior to making the speech. If you go to a Toastmasters meeting you will see someone in the role as a timer. This individual may hold colored cards, or use different backgrounds in a digital meeting to signal the speaker about their remaining time to speak. Keeping the meeting on schedule sets Toastmasters apart from other organizations which may not operate as purposefully regarding time. If we can keep time in mind for a speech, then we can apply the same practice of discipline to other areas of our lives.
As I close, I hope that you reflect on how you could live better and maximize every moment. I hope that you will cherish the time that you have been given with the people that you love who enrich your lives. Now, share your experience with time management in speaking, doing a project, or other life encounters in the comment space below. Happy speaking everyone!
