Yeah, yeah. I know. Everyone says you're supposed to think outside of the box. But just this once, let's try doing the opposite. Let's make the box a constraint that we have to apply to our subject.
Do you remember prepping for that AP Calculus test in high school? Remember when Coach Howard* said you could bring one index card with you to the test? Well, whether you have a scenario like this to draw from or not, take my word for it.
The amount of effort that it took to go through all of those notes, homework, and chapter assignments to find content worthy of getting on that one index card was incredible. I read every fact, every formula, and every page of notes trying to decide if the content was worthy of being on that 3X5 index card. I did not want to waste precious space. If the formula was easy to remember or not all that important, it didn't make it to the card. The process of evaluating the data helped me commit all of the information to memory.
The same idea can work for your next presentation. Give yourself a limit of one page on which to write everything you want to say about your subject. By really focusing your message and boiling it down to its essence, you will turn a potentially boring subject into something interesting.
This can work even if your subject is "How to Prepare for the AP Calculus Exam."
(There is more information on the art of the one-pager plus 51 other tips in my book.)
* yes, the AP Calculus teacher in my high school was also a coach. This was Greenville, SC and he was a great teacher. I don't want to hear your sighs of disbelief.
RSS Feed