visualize success and increase focus for mindful practice

At the end of the day I ran through my presentation and talked through it as if narrating while both envisioning and performing steps. This gave me a mindful practice run where I performed and observed my presentation simultaneously. I’ve heard of the benefits of visualization and this allowed me to marry two forms of preparation. This approach helped me increase my focus instead of just going through the motions.

ad-hoc visuals, greater impact

What if you were trying to pitch an idea with marker on whiteboard or pen on napkin? How could you convey a memorable message with a drawing? After drawing a symbol, simply explain it. This will convey the meaning to the audience and give a visual cue by which to remember the concept. Your goal is to convey a concept, not to sell a work of art.

write it out to see it

When considering multiple variables, you can put them down on paper, spreadsheet, or whiteboard. You will intuitively begin organizing the information and identifying trends and relationships.

learn by example

I had a video and some text documents giving me examples of the proficiency I needed to develop in a subject. I needed to learn the content and demonstrate it. More than once the text documents did not provide sufficient detail or screenshots for understanding. Instead of clicking around the software at random, I turned to the video to see how the presenter handled the concept. A common application of this process is bypassing instructions included with a product and instead watching a video on YouTube or another site. Entire homes have been built or remodeled from knowledge gained on YouTube.