Tell yourself you can do it

When something like high-pressure situations happens, we can immediately get resentful, we worry we’re not ready, and we start making excuses for ourselves. The reality is, if you’re not in control of the situation, you have to be ready in the moment. There were 3 decisions I made when this happened to me to shift my focus and that allowed me to perform under pressure.

1) Get Grateful I told myself that, ‘This is an opportunity – no matter the form it’s coming in. It may have come at a time when I didn’t know it was going to come; I may not be completely ready for it, but it’s a great opportunity and I’m unbelievably grateful to have it.’

2) Get Back To Basics If I do something from a place of meaningful intention and authenticity, then I can overcome imperfections in the way I do. I may not have every answer polished in the exact right way, but if I do it and communicate from the heart and I’m authentic, the people are going to feel my passion.

3) This Is A Learning Experience This is a great moment for me to try performing under pressure when I’m not ready for it. I now get to perform in a way that is spontaneous and unanticipated – and I know that there are going to be times in my future where I’m going to have to do this – so I might as well learn now. What better way to learn than in a high stakes environment like this?

One of the greatest ways to change your state in any moment is to change your focus. Is what you’re focusing on empowering you? Or is what you’re focusing on detrimental to your state? If you determine your focus you’ll determine how you’ll feel – and of course when you know you can determine how you feel, you can bring a completely different game to any situation.

Yes, tell yourself you can do it!