The Life Starter
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Work · Guided lesson

Write notes and rehearse

About 30 minutes
Work at your own pace. Optional videos take extra time.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Convert the deck into a natural, timed delivery with clear transitions and resilient technical backups.

The idea

Rehearsal is a test environment for the message, timing, body, voice, and technology.

Try it

One step at a time.

Use the sample or information you have permission to use. Keep your work as you go. You can pause between steps.

  1. 1

    Write speaker notes as prompts for purpose, evidence, transitions, examples, and timing—not a script pasted from the slide.

  2. 2

    Rehearse aloud with the real controls and timer, marking sections that consistently overrun or feel unclear.

  3. 3

    Record one run, review pace, filler, posture, eye line, vocal variation, and slide dependence, then revise the content first.

  4. 4

    Export a PDF, store local and cloud copies, test media, and prepare a no-slide version of the core argument.

Example

See how it works.

Priya’s first run is 18 minutes for a 12-minute slot, so she removes a secondary analysis and moves it into the appendix.

Check your work

Did you cover these?

  • Your work includes speaker notes, two timed rehearsal logs, a revised deck, and tested presentation backups.
  • Check this common mistake: Practicing silently by clicking through slides and assuming spoken timing and transitions will work.
  • You finish within the time window, recover without panic, and can state the core argument if the screen fails.
Your work

What to finish

Speaker notes, two timed rehearsal logs, a revised deck, and tested presentation backups.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Practicing silently by clicking through slides and assuming spoken timing and transitions will work.

How can I tell I understand it?

You finish within the time window, recover without panic, and can state the core argument if the screen fails.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1Which step is part of “Write notes and rehearse”?
2What should you have made by the end of this lesson?
3Which mistake should you watch for in this lesson?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
5
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

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Optional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
TEDx TalksHow to Avoid Death by PowerPointYouTube
Optional course overview

How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint

From TEDx Talks. Watch here or open it on YouTube .

Watch for an idea you can use in the practice below. You can pause or skip this optional overview.
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Sources and further reading

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