This topic seems to continuously show it’s face, whether it’s with one of my students or my own day-to-day walk. It’s such an important issue, as it creeps into every aspect of our lives. Very often, we tend to overlook the importance pressure plays in our motivations and our attempts to reach our specific goals. I want to address a certain part of this word, and how it’s presented to most of us… actually, all of us!

When we meet pressure head-on, we’ve been taught to “handle” or “deal” with it as good as we know how. As I was trying to reach new levels in my sporting career, I was constantly taught that the athlete who “deals with pressure best will always come out ahead.” “Whoever handles the pressure, and can play through it will separate himself from the competition.”

I now understand they were all wrong, and have mislead my thinking and approach to this powerful word. I know… you all think I’m out of my mind, but let me explain:

We don’t “handle” a healthier body, do we? We don’t “deal” with eating correctly, and exercising regularly, correct? We love our new body… we embrace and invite the proper foods into our diet, and the endorphin rush that results from exercise.

We don’t “handle” a birdie in golf… we hope for, love, and need it.”

We don’t “deal” with an A on our exams… we yearn for it, study our butts off, expect that grade.

So, why are we supposed to handle and deal with pressure? Answer: We’ve associated pressure with negativity. We’ve linked adversity to pressure into our unconscious, making us immediately focus on how to “do our best when faced with this monster…” Instead of thinking of pressure as something to deal with, we should be putting our arm around it, inviting it into our every move. It’s because of pressure that we’ve succeeded. Let me repeat: Pressure is the reason we reach new levels, and isn’t something we should be afraid of.

How do we reshape our mindsets, making pressure work for us? Redefine the word!

Rather than equating fear with pressure, make it an OPPORTUNITY. It’s an opportunity to… (you fill in the blank, depending on your motivations and goals). Filling in the blank with anything you want is the best, and most powerful part of your new definition. Opportunity doesn’t allow fear or hesitation to enter it’s world. You can’t say, “pressure is an opportunity to…” and still be afraid to fail. Opportunity is power, which will ultimately result in the result we’re attempting to achieve.

Again, as written in my last post, it is this simple… but sometimes clarity is too clear to see.

In order for our mindset to shift, and be able to redefine pressure as our best friend, we must practice this every day. Every time we feel pressure, repeat our new definition. Our minds are a muscle… the harder we work, the faster we’ll achieve!

Pressure is an opportunity to…