3 Techniques to Be Your Best Under Pressure
Did you know that diamonds are not formed from coal? Technically, they are formed into the gorgeous stones we know and love from carbon deposits. While it isn’t true that diamonds come from coal, it is true that it takes a tremendous amount of pressure to turn a carbon deposit into a diamond. We can take that same concept and apply it to our daily lives. One of the definitions of “pressure”, per Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “the stress or urgency of matters demanding attention.” In my career, I’ve been under pressure in vastly different situations… I’ve lead productions and crews on television and film sets I’ve had to create presentations to speak in front of large audiences I’ve had to get my kids organized for their school and keep track of their work These are wildly different situations, but all of them put me under considerable pressure. Whether I am about to give a keynote speech to 800 people or be at school for my sons’ parent-teacher conferences, I’ve had strict deadlines and tasks I needed to follow if I wanted to keep up. I don’t know about you, but I tend to like being in control. If I am not getting things done, then I’m not in control, which affects my ability to get things done. It’s a vicious cycle. No matter what the situation, we’ve all at some time needed help in staying organized, so we don’t completely stress out. Fortunately, working through all these experiences has helped me conduct experiments on the most effective ways to get things done in the midst of whatever is going on. I want to share these techniques with you in the hopes that you can take control even when under pressure. Welcome the Pressure It all starts with your mindset. “Pressure” is not an ideal state for most people, and many will want to avoid working under pressure out of fear of stress, anxiety, or potentially failing. Instead, before you start working, create a mindset of excitement. You shouldn’t ignore the pressure, but you also shouldn’t let it overwhelm you. Use the pressure as an opportunity to achieve something great. If you go into a situation with an excited mindset instead of a stressed mindset, your chances of success increase dramatically. What’s the Priority? Now that you’re excited, the next step is to figure out what all needs to be done. When I was working on a television set, there were hundreds of things I had to consider and not much time to consider them. “The show must go on,” as they say, and I couldn’t just say, “Well, I’m not done yet, so we can’t air the show this week.” So, whenever I looked at my task list, I asked myself these questions… What deadlines am I working with? Am I the right person to be doing this (or can I delegate it [...]