Pondering A Presentation
I have finally discovered the problem inherent in trying to prepare for presentations, vis, why I’m never prepared.
When you’ve got a 20 page report due in, say, 10 hours, you can quantify how much work needs to be done. 2 pages an hour, you say to yourself. You can then bash together the work, and by 9am, you’ve got something to hand in. If you didn’t do the work, you’d have nothing to hand in. Simple.
When you’re giving a presentation, you don’t have this impetus. I finished my slides yesterday – they had to be in by 2pm today. My problem now is, I don’t quite know enough of the details to be able to talk about what I’ve written in my headings.
I could do all the preparation in the world tonight, and what would I have to show for it tomorrow? Bupkiss.
If I do absolutely no preparation, I also have nothing to show for it, but at least I get a good night’s sleep.
Herein lies the problem. Without something solid that I need to hand in, I lose all motivation to do any work. Obviously I will go better if I prepare. If I read up about the topic, work out what I’m going to say, even (heaven forbid) rehearse my presentation, I’ll be raring and ready to go.
But…. If I sleep, I’ll wake up the next morning with a fresh mind, a positive attitude, and hey, maybe I’ll just get lucky and spout accurate enough bullshit to convince every who’s there that I know what I’m talking about.
If I stay up all night working, I might sleep in and miss the presentation altogether.
I’m on fifth… So there’s four other presentations during which I can bone up. 45 minutes or so. Easy!
Now you see my dilemma. Basically, I’m stuffed. There’s no way that the “sleep now, work later” theory can help me, but it just sounds so convincing that I’ll at least give it a go. I’m my own worst enemy.
Goodnight.
Procrastination | stu | 
June 2, 2006 12:27 am
