Boundaries that save you time, energy & stress

The word boundary can be branded around as some kind of constraint. Almost as if it is stopping you doing what you need to do. Or at least that can be how it feels. But setting boundaries is not just about putting ringfences in place, it is about keeping you focused on what needs to be done in the most effortless way for you.

Boundaries can save you time, energy and stress by:

• Not doing more than you need to, which would lead to overthinking, overplanning, and overdoing.
• Not wasting your efforts on doing more extensive preparation than you need to, which would lead to overwhelm and a busy mind.

This goes for setting boundaries in all aspects of your life, but lets focus on the application to public speaking. Boundaries are a way to ensure not just your delivery is effortless, but your preparation too.

Time parameters

This can be set for you or you may have to choose, for example, TED Talks have an 18 minute time boundary. If you get to choose the time you are presenting for, use it to your advantage. If you are a beginner, more time means you have more content to remember so instead choose to speak for 1–5 minutes rather than 10–15.

Even if you are a more experienced speaker more time does not equal more value. Consider how long you need to land your key messages, connect with your audience and deliver a call to action. Base your timings on that. Remember that with your…