There’s more material out there for relaxation and stress management techniques than you can shake a stick at, but in my experience the kind of calm confidence we all aspire to display on stage is the result of hard work and preparation.
At the risk of injecting the subjective, I know that I make most mistakes and missteps when I haven’t done my work. That makes me insecure about what others will think about me, about the opportunities I’ll have in the future, and the stability and the trajectory of my career. Understandably, I get nervous, which only makes matters worse.
While hard work is rarely included in the zen-type books about peace and harmony, I find that few activities give me the kind off assurance that basic preparedness can. If you’ve ever taken a test on a subject that you knew inside and out, you understand the feeling. Maybe it’s paradoxical, but it’s always worth it to put in the extra time. That way, when you step on stage or into a meeting, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You already did your part to be the best you can be.
Relaxation is all about never finding yourself behind the eight ball. Don’t confuse hard work with over-commitment: 15 hour work days aren’t good for anyone when you’re stringing them together with no end in sight. Take on the amount of work you can reliably produce and do everything you need to do in order to meet your commitments effectively.
How do you leverage your hard work to achieve confidence and relaxation?
