I know most folks hate practicing. It’s not fun. There are countless other things you could be doing that would be imminently more enjoyable and offer more immediate gratification. There are a million other things you could be doing. But disciplined practice is the only way to build the comfort and confidence that will enable to deliver a meaningful and memorable presentation.
Don’t plug practice into free time. Block out time on your calendar for it. Don’t take calls or respond to emails during this time either. Place a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign on your office door. Unplug from anything that might inhibit your ability to be 100% present during this time.
Now, how do you maximize the time you have? So let’s say your presentation is 15 minutes long and today you have scheduled an undisturbed hour and a half to practice. My best advice is not to practice the whole thing four times. Instead, break the presentation into 3 five minute chunks. Then practice chunk #1 back to back for 20 minutes. That will help you get that segment solid before you move on to segment #2. Practice that segment 4 times back to back for 20 minutes then do the same with segment #3. Then use the last half hour to revisit the areas you had the most difficulty with.