Posts Tagged ‘pressure’

It doesn’t matter what you do, or who you are…you’re going to encounter obstacles. On the field, in the classroom, in the boardroom and at home.

Someone once said that life was a series of problem-solving events. We can’t avoid challenges or adversity.

What we can do is change our reactions to them.

I believe that in every challenge, there is a lesson to be learned. You can use adversity to your advantage. Instead of being frustrated, be fascinated. Enjoy the pressure; enjoy the challenge.

That’s what winners do.

Act like a winner today!

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jane Atkinson in London, Ontario, Canada.

Have you ever been in a pressure situation?

Of course you have. But the question is, what do you do in those situations?

Most people tense up, stop breathing and pray that it will be over soon.

Next time, try what Michael Jordan did…

When the pressure was on, Jordan called up past successes in his mind. Most of the time he replayed the last-second shot he made in the 1982 NCAA Championship when he was at North Carolina.

And we all know what kind of results Jordan got.

So next time the pressure’s on, go back in time when you were in control, you were in the zone and you could do no wrong.

Or you can focus on the negative stuff.

Your choice.

“In the long run, the sword is beaten by the mind.”
-NAPOLEON

Roger Federer was seeded #2 and won the French Open.

Dinara Safina was seeded #1 and lost.

What was the difference?

The difference is how they handled the pressure. Even though Roger had never won the French Open, he has had more experience playing in pressure situations. And he knows that negative emotions produce negative results. This was Safina’s third Grand Slam final and she wanted it badly. She wanted it so she could say she truly was #1.

But as it turns out, Roger was calm and cool and Dinara self-destructed. She even double-faulted on match point.

Physically, there was very little difference between Federer/Soderling and Safina/Kuznetsova, so it all came down to the mental side.

If Safina focused on her game plan, her attitude and effort instead of the outcome, the result may have been different.

How you deal with pressure is up to you. You choose how you react. And your reaction/perception will affect your results.

Will this match make or break Safina’s career? Probably not, unless she lets it. If she learns from her experience and gets back to work, she’s young enough to still reach her prime. Much of what we think becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What do you think?


Thanks for reading.