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Time Management

The three secrets of success in public speaking are: be sincere, be brief, be seated.

Don't quote Latin; say what you have to say, and then sit down. (Duke of Wellington 1769-1852)

"The communication is too long. Brevity is not only the soul of wit; it is also the essence of good communication. The long-winded speaker doesn't realize that his speech didn't get across. He should have quit when he was ahead, but he added more and more and more. As a short speech it would have been a dandy; as a long speech it was a bore. The poor speaker quits when he is tired. The good speaker quits just before the audience gets tired. Turn off the flow of words when their cups are full. No one can say just how long a message should be, but you rarely hear complaints about a speech being too short. The amateur worries about what he is going to put in his speech. The expert worries about what he should take out. An artistic performance is concentrated, has a central focus. Lincoln spoke for less than two minutes at Gettysburg but his message still tugs at the heart." (Edgar Dale)

How much material? Or how long? Plan for less, prepare for more...and have a backup! (Kevin Eikenberry)

In laboring to be brief, I become obscure. (Horace)

1 Week, 7 Days, 168 Hours, 10,080 Minutes

"Education by its nature is a slow, time-consuming process. Someone has said that where education is the only remedy, there can be no faster one. Here's the best answer we've found to the question, 'How can I find time to take part in adult education?' There are 8,760 hours in a year. Work and sleep require about 5,000 hours. Allow 7,000 hours for dressing and eating. You have more than 2,500 left. Take half of that for recreation and you still have more hours a year than most college students use for classes & studies." (Adult Ed Newsletter, Purdue University)

What's Important Now?

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