Going fast has its benefits. But have you ever experienced the speed trap? The faster you go, the more you feel the need to go even faster. Pushing ourselves to be more efficient may, however, interfere with creativity, learning and effective communication.

And so our presentations can become a victim of our self-imposed speed trap! A one-hour presentation might require 36 up to 90 hours of preparation, according to presentation guru Nancy Duarte. But what if you simply don't have that much time?

I know that freeing myself of the speed trap is a daily awareness exercise for myself. Why do I want to go fast? Is it because it really requires little effort? Does it have little importance? Or do I want to rush so I can rapidly cross off other items on my to do list?

And last but not least, what happens if I don't spend the time? A dulled audience or a wrong decision taken?

So next time you're preparing a presentation quickly, think why you want to go fast. Remember that some extra time now might save you time in the end. One small step in awareness, a giant leap in efficacy!

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