How to Defeat Procrastination

GENEREAL OVERVIEW

• Your TED talk must:
  • Be 7-10 minutes in length
  • Will be recorded
  • Include a storytelling component at some point (doesn’t necessarily have to be YOUR story)
  • Be "remembered" (minimal notes, I don’t want to see you reading while presenting)
  • Be delivered in an engaging manner

SPECIFIC STEPS

1. 1.      Get familiar with the form

• This is meant to be a fun. I encourage you to fully immerse yourself into the world of Ted Talks and how they’re conducted. By doing so, you’ll gain insight and comfort with what is expected of you here, as well as how you’ll undertake this assignment. If you haven’t seen a TED Talk, go to TED.com and watch (Like this one: Amy Cuddy - Body Language)
• What is a TED Talk?
  • TED Talks are a showcase for speakers presenting well-formed ideas. Typically, they go no more than 20 minutes, but we’re using a much shorter format: 7-10 MINUTES.

1. 2.      Develop an idea

• What makes a good idea for a talk?
  • Like a good magazine article, your idea can be new or surprising, or challenge a belief your audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument behind it.
  • An idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.

• Do I need to be an expert on my topic?
  • You do not need to be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, but you do have to be an expert. Please remember that the audience relies on you to give accurate information, so whatever you say in your talk, please fact-check — especially facts you may take for granted: Statistics, historical anecdotes, scientific stats. If you're drawing an example from a discipline that is not your main area of knowledge, use research from widely accepted and peer-reviewed sources, and, if at all possible, consult with experts directly.

• Is my idea ready? Make sure you research your topic well.
  • Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions:
    • Is my idea new?
      • Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before?
      • Is it interesting?
        • Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might be interested in it?
        • Is it factual and realistic?
          • If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer-reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience.
          • If you answered “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. Ask someone you respect who doesn’t work in your field, and if they answer “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea.

1. 3.      Make an outline

• What is the best structure for a talk?
  • There are many theories on the best structure for a great presentation. (Nancy Duarte presents one here.) There’s no single trick to it, but here is at least one structure found to work particularly well:

1. Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or an intriguing idea.
2. Explain your idea clearly and with conviction.
3. Describe your evidence and how and why your idea could be implemented.
4. End by addressing how your idea could affect your audience if they were to accept it.

• Whatever structure you decide on, remember:

1. The primary goal of your talk is to communicate an idea effectively, not to tell a story or to evoke emotions. These are tools, not an end in themselves.
2. Your structure should be invisible to the audience. In other words, don’t talk about how you’re going to talk about your topic – just talk about it!

• Introduction
  • A strong introduction is crucial.

1. Draw in your audience members with something they care about.

• If it’s a topic the general TED audience thinks about a lot, start with a clear statement of what the idea is.
• If it’s a field they never think about, start off by invoking something they do think about a lot and relate that concept to your idea.
• If the idea is something fun, but not something the audience would ever think about, open with a surprising and cool fact or declaration of relevance (not a statistic!).
• If it’s a heavy topic, find an understated and frank way to get off the ground; don’t force people to feel emotional.

1. Get your idea out as quickly as possible.
2. Don’t focus too much on yourself.
3. Don’t open with a string of stats. 

• Body
  • In presenting your topic and evidence:
    • Make a list of all the evidence you want to use: Think about items that your audience already knows about and the things you’ll need to convince them of.
      • Order all of the items in your list based on what a person needs to know before they can understand the next point, and from least to most exciting. Now cut out everything you possibly can without losing the integrity of your argument. You will most likely need to cut things that you think are important.
        • Consider making this list with a trusted friend, someone who isn’t an expert in your field.
        • Spend more time on new information: If your audience needs to be reminded of old or common information, be brief.
        • Use empirical evidence, and limit anecdotal evidence.
        • Don’t use too much jargon, or explain new terminology.
        • (Respectfully) address any controversies in your claims, including legitimate counterarguments, reasons you might be wrong, or doubts your audience might have about your idea.
        • Don’t let citations interrupt the flow of your explanation: Save them for after you’ve made your point, or place them in the fine print of your slides.
        • Slides: Note anything in your outline that is best expressed visually and plan accordingly in your script. 

• Conclusion
  • Find a landing point in your conclusion that will leave your audience feeling positive toward you and your idea's chances for success. Don’t use your conclusion to simply summarize what you’ve already said; tell your audience how your idea might affect their lives if it’s implemented.
  • Avoid ending with a pitch (such as soliciting funds, showing a book cover, using corporate logos).
  • If appropriate, give your audience a call to action. 

1. 4.      Rehearse

• I’ve said my talk once in my head. Is that enough?
  • Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! I can’t stress this enough. Rehearse until you’re completely comfortable in front of other people: Different groups of people, people you love, people you fear, small groups, large groups, peers, people who aren’t experts in your field. Listen to the criticisms and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. If someone says you sound “over-rehearsed,” this actually means you sound stilted and unnatural. Keep rehearsing, and focus on talking like you’re speaking to just one person in a spontaneous one-way conversation.
  • Timing
    • Time yourself. Practice with the clock winding down in front of you. Do it until you get the timing right every time.

 5.      Give your talk

• Inhale. Exhale. Do it like you practiced.
• You are allowed to have 1 NOTECARD. 

1. 6.      Savor the glory

• Congrats, you’re done! Bask in the praise you get over how you seemed so relaxed and spontaneous.