Have you ever wanted to accomplish a certain task but were
afraid you would fail?
Have you ever attempted a project or presentation already
knowing you were probably going to fail?
Have you ever made yourself so nervous about a given task
that you couldn’t concentrate on the task and ended up not doing as good a job
as you know you were capable?
If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you
are not alone. Being nervous, feeling
inadequate, or being afraid of failure are natural thoughts that can creep into
our brains if we allow them to. Many of
us experience these on a daily basis as we attempt to go through our day, at
our jobs, or at school.
These thoughts can limit our experiences and accomplishments
if we do not keep them in check. The
more we dwell on a certain outcome, the more our body reacts to this event as
if it has already happened.
For example, if all you can think about is how nervous you
will be about giving a speech in front of your classmates, your body will adapt
to this thought by increasing your heart rate as the time to the speech draws
near. Sweaty palms might also be a
symptom as your brain has communicated to your body that the chance of success
is slim and therefore your body has prepared for the humiliation that goes
along with failure.
All of this was started by thinking and dwelling on the fact
of how nervous you were about standing up and giving a speech to your
classmates. Doesn’t sound like a recipe
for success now does it?
Try this instead.
The next time you have a presentation (project, test, etc.)
that is important to you accomplishing it, think and visualize what a stellar
presentation looks like when it is complete.
It is important that you see yourself completing this presentation.
If visualization is hard for you, try watching a good speech
that has been on the news, or other media.
Then, close your eyes and think about that speech, except pretend that
you were the one who gave the speech.
Especially notice what it feels like when your brain has
communicated this success to the rest of your body; you should feel a sense of
calm (perhaps even excitement) after finishing that presentation. The feelings you experience are what you want
to aim for.
If this visualizing exercise is done correctly, you can see
that the nervousness you had is conjured up by your brain in response to a fear
you have. The goal is to suppress that
fear through visualization of your eventual success and convince your mind of
this.
It is equally important that you do not visualize yourself
without going out and making strides to accomplish your goal. Visualizing about giving a presentation
without actually practicing the presentation is no more helpful than psyching
yourself out before giving the presentation.
Neither will prepare you to deliver the results you desire.
The important idea is to:
- · Visualize your success
- · Suppress the fear within you
- · Go out and attain the results you are capable of achieving
Since we talked a lot about presentations in this blog post,
I think the next one will talk about what makes a good presentation and how to
incorporate today’s blog post into presentation tips that will distinguish you
from the rest of your classmates and coworkers.
To Your Success,
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