Have you felt anxious before an examination or a competition? The pressure, especially before a competition, can make you doubt your abilities in comparison with your opponent’s. When such stress mounts, avoiding the situation sometimes seems easier than facing it. However, the strategy to deal with these circumstances is to use the pressure to propel you, just like athletes do.
Athletes often enter stadiums with thousands of spectators cheering for their opponents. This can be extremely discouraging and can shatter their confidence. However, many athletes, like tennis player Novak Djokovic, have trained their mind to convert this pressure into motivation. They are aware that though the pressure seems overpowering, it is not always a bad thing. They use it as a challenge to push their limits.
Similarly, in life, you may face circumstances where you feel like giving up. You may hear words such as, “You’re not good enough!” or “You’re weak.” In these cases, the best way to motivate yourself is to use these negative situations to your advantage.
Here are some tips that can help you:
- Whenever you face pressure, encourage yourself to accept the challenge rather than resist it. You can motivate yourself with phrases like, “This is an opportunity to do my best,” or “There are no expectations, so what I achieve will always be more than what was expected of me.”
- Keep time to reflect on your emotions and share your feelings with a parent, teacher or mentor.
- Paying attention to many opinions can distract you and slow your progress. Stay focussed on your goals.
- Remember that every time you overcome self-doubt, you grow.
- Developing this mindset requires practice, but it will help you use discouragement as fuel to drive you to success.
