What to do when feeling unprepared for a presentation?

When it comes to public speaking, many people feel ‘unprepared’ one way or another. Here’re 3 primal reactions and actions:

1. Fight –> overprepare
2. Freeze –> do nothing
3. Flight –> cancel or postpone the presentation

These reactions are human instincts in times of stress, and it’s the actions that we can develop control over. In my presenter coaching experience, when a speaker feels unprepared for a presentation, it is often triggered by the self-fulfilling prophecy of “What if I screwed up?” By thinking WHAT IF I DID WELL? can usually turn nerves into ‘good stress’ to propel you into identifying and taking the most realistic actions.

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How to balance work preparation with personal obligations?

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