Let’s face it, there’s never enough time. In work, or in relationships, we often find ourselves harried, either consumed by the various minutia that is a part of staying afloat in modern society, bills to pay, jury summons to satisfy, etc., or swamped by work requirements, clients to please, dinners to attend, paperwork to finish, etc.

Of course, this often leads us with little time for our presentations. So how do we know how much time to spend on our presentations? And more importantly perhaps, what do we do if we feel we are too busy to prepare?

I recently had a young woman come to me requesting help with a TED speech that she was to give in Bali in two weeks’ time. I was thrilled to get the call. An invitation to speak at TED is close to the pinnacle of success in the world of public speaking. The greatest thinkers in the world are invited to speak there. What’s more, you are allowed to have a call to action with this speech, to inspire, to push for change, to encourage transformation. All of the speeches given at TED go out over the internet, and are widely viewed. For twenty minutes, the world would be this young woman’s stage.

But she had no time. The irony of her success was that she was now inundated with offers for freelance work, and she didn’t have time to adequately prepare for the speech of her life. Luckily we were able to work with the confines created by her new-found success, and carve out a dynamic speech.

I would recommend asking yourself a few questions if you feel that you are short on time:

1) How important is the speech, or presentation? In an ideal world, we would be adequately prepared for every speaking engagement; however, the reality is that sometimes we simply are not. That being said, if the speech or presentation presents an unparalleled opportunity for you, or may be important for your career, you must find a way to carve out time even if it means telling your immediate supervisor you need the day off, or your spouse you have to cut dinner short.

2) Are you really that busy? Ask yourself tough questions. Are you busy, or scared? It’s fine to be nervous about public speaking, it’s perfectly natural, but it’s not good when you start avoiding the hard work it takes to pull off a great speech. If you feel that you are avoiding your speech, talk to a trusted advisor or colleague. Share your feelings. Then put together a plan of action and break through your block.

3) Can I re-arrange? If there is simply no time, or the time allotted to you for preparation is not adequate, it’s fair to ask to re-schedule.

If all else fails? Just be in the moment. Time stress happens to the best of us, and when we run behind, there is no point in beating ourselves up. If your speaking day has arrived, remind yourself you’ve done the best you can, and step up to the podium with as much courage as you can muster. You never know, you might still knock it out of the park!

Click here to arrange a free 20 minute in person speech consultation with me. I can help you prepare adequately for your presentations and teach you tips for effective speech design and execution.