Last week I conducted a test on Principles of Management for Calcutta University. After the exam, before calling it a day, I went to the wash room to freshen myself. There I found one of the brightest students of the class , sobbing and after seeing me , tried to camouflage her grief by splashing water on her face. I pretended ignorance and did not ask her anything. After a few minutes, suddenly she blurted out "Mam, why does this always happen to me ? I study so hard , so so well in class participation but when I am appearing for a test, my mind goes blank. I try so hard to concentrate , do well , but usually I buckle under the pressure. Why mam, why ? " And she cried inconsolably. I just held her tight .
This blog is dedicated to all of us who at some time or the other have choked under pressure - just like the bright young student of mine.
So why does it happen? Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to what we're capable of when the pressure is on? It may not be so surprising to hear that in stressful situations, we worry. We worry about the situation, the consequences, what others will think of us. But what is surprising is that we often get in our own way precisely because our worries prompt us to concentrate too much !
That's right -- we pay too much attention to what we're doing. When we're concerned about performing our best, we often try and control aspects of what we're doing that are best left outside our conscious awareness, and the consequence is that we mess up.
I remember my meeting with Anand Kumar - the celebrated educationist who is best known for his Super 30 program. The program claims to select 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains them for the IIT Joint entrance exams - one of the toughest exam in the country. Super 30 has a hit rate of 99.99 % success. As an answer to my question that what was the secret of the stupendous success of Super 30 , the gentleman had smiled and softly said "Leave yourself on autopilot at the time of the final performance !"
"What ? Autopilot ?" , I was confused.
He smiled again .
"Yes ! The key is to practice and build yourself up so that you are at your peak performance at the moment when it is needed the most. At that time, your mind should work automatically, unconsciously, without having to concentrate or worry about the result. That is autopilot mode !".
The stress of wanting to do really well makes you self-conscious, Your mind is driven by worry, fear, and anxiety. Your over focus becomes a force of destruction that interferes with your natural and practiced flow as you start paying too much attention to what you're doing. And then starts the downhill journey of your performance.
Our working memory, just like a computer's Random Access Memory (RAM), is a limited resource. When we start letting anxious, worried thoughts intrude in our brain, we deplete major mental resources that could be better used anywhere else than over-thinking every move.
So, what should we do ? Here are some tips which I have gathered from my own personal experiences. I share them below :
1. Practice Under Stress : Good and sincere people work hard for tests, practice before performances . But it is important to keep in mind whether they are performing under stress or not. For example, if we are appearing for an exam, we have to practice writing mock tests and try to emulate the same environment of the actual tests - like time limitations, writing conditions and evaluate ourselves on that. Before any performance on stage or presentation to customers or senior management , we should practice in front of somebody who can critique us. If no one is available, record your performance and scrutinize yourself. And of course it goes without saying that you have to Practice, Practice and Practice , till you feel that you are ready for the autopilot mode !
2. Do not dwell on the past and neither in the future : Take failures as hurdles which have helped you to learn how to go about problems . Do not let them stop you from trying again. Dream big but do not dwell on what might happen in future. I know it is easier said than done but living in the present moment is what we all should strive for. Once you have the answer paper infront of you or the moment you are standing in front of an audience, live the moment. You have already practiced a lot . So come in the autopilot mode - live the moment. Remember Shah Rukh Khan's talk to his tennis team just before the final match? Forget the past and the future. Live the minute. Enjoy the moment !
3. Distract Yourself : I know a person who always wears the same tie when he is going for an important client presentation. There are people who have superstitions like humming a tune before the exam starts or keeping a flower or a leaf with themselves before any important event. All these may be superstitions, hang on, I am not a proponent of superstitions , but as an example of busying our mind somewhere else, I say that they also serve the purpose of distracting our minds and prevents us from focusing too much on the consequences and the upcoming stressful situation. This is one of the reasons that you might have heard your elders say that do not study on the day before the examination. Read a book, listen to a song etc. so that your mind is distracted. This slight distraction helps us cope up with the stressful situation and come to our super efficient autopilot mode !
What happens in our heads really matters, and knowing this, we can learn how to prepare ourselves and others for success, not just in the classroom and stage but in the boardroom as well.
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