You are in the midst of a crucial situation. Your heart begins to pound more than normal. Your palms become sweaty. A big lump hovers in your throat. It is “crunch time?” Are you ready to perform at a higher level?
Why is it that the same situational pressures and fears that hold some back are the same ones that propel others forward full throttle? For the latter group, the margin of error goes out the window when a big reward is on the line.
A significant factor in being human is that when the stakes are high, the anxiety level within can significantly increase. Please understand that the tension you feel in these “crunch time” situations does not come from the situations themselves. It is something that builds within you. Anxiety is purely a personal matter.
Under these circumstances many think about what might go wrong rather than what can go right. This creates a greater inter tension, making execution more difficult than it would be under normal situations. In these stressful situations, skills and techniques are of little use unless one is mentally able to perform with efficiency under pressure.
What is the key for staying the course when the chips are down and the rewards are high? There are no laid in concrete formulas when the heat is on… but I suggest for maximum results that you learn to focus on the execution of the task you are performing… not on what the result of the execution might mean. Think about that for a moment.
It is important in key situations that you forego the tendency to think about the end result and instead make a real effort to focus on execution: on the "how to" and not on the outcome. It is this ability to focus on execution of the task before you that ultimately will make the big difference in your being known as a person who is “tough in the clutch.”
