Guiding Questions: Do you get nervous? Have you ever let fear or nervousness stop you from doing what you want to do or need to do?
In a conversation on The Shop (39:10) legendary rapper Andre 3000 from the group Outkast talked about how he still gets nervous before every show. Lebron James was a part of that conversation, and he said 20 years into his career, he still gets nervous before every game.
Being nervous is normal. The human body has over 7 trillion nerves that send signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body, and with so many nerves and signals being sent all the time, it makes sense why we might feel nervous. Andre said, “You are full of nerves. Your body is full of nerves; you’re supposed to be nervous.” Your nerves and being nervous just let you know that you’re alive and prepare your mind and body for what it’s about to get into.
The key is not letting nerves keep you from doing the things you want to do or need to do. You may not always be able to control how you feel, but you can control what you do.
In a Forbes.com article, Rebecca Newton wrote, “People often say to me, ‘I’m feeling OK and then my gremlin appears on my shoulder, tells me why I’m not good enough and I lose my confidence.’ The gremlin is our inner voice whispering – at just the wrong moment — that we’re ‘not… enough.’ Perhaps we’re “not smart enough” or “not experienced enough” or ‘not knowledgeable enough.’”
Rebecca then gave 6 ways to fight the gremlin and nervousness:
1. Listen to the gremlin. Then talk back. Instead of letting the gremlin have the last say, talk back.
2. Choose courage over confidence. Courage is the ability to overcome fear, rather than being fearless. Learn how to do things afraid.
3. Breathe your way through it. The box breathing technique can help calm you so you can do the next best thing (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, and hold it again for 4 seconds; repeat 4 times).
4. Know your strengths. Think about what you are best at and lean on that.
5. Start developing yourself. Continue to learn, grow, and get better.
6. Recognize nervousness as a sign of something good. Everyone gets nervous; it's a reminder that you are alive.
Decide who you want to be, and what you need to do to become that person, then do it. Three of the most important keys to sustained success are:
1 - Show up.
2 - Do your job
3 - Add value
4 - Lean on your circle
No matter how you feel, choose to show up, and choose to show up 5 minutes early. When you show up, choose to do your job with integrity and excellence. Integrity is doing what you say you are going to do, and excellence is doing it to the best of your ability. Then find ways to add value to the team and people. So often, we think we have to hit a home run when in reality, we can make a difference by doing small things to add value. Knowing this might help you put your experience in perspective and calm your nerves. Finally, have good people around you whom you can lean on to help you through. We don’t have to go through life alone; have a good circle around you who can push you, pull you, and walk with you when you need it. When I am nervous and don't know what to do next, I talk to the people I trust most to help me through. Keep good people whom you can count on around you.
Remember, the best of the best get nervous just like everyone else, but they don’t let their nerves keep them from becoming the best version of themselves.
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - What is your biggest takeaway from this post?
2 - When do you feel the most nervous, and how can you overcome that feeling?
3 - Can you recognize when the people around you are nervous, and how do you support them?
For a printable PDF version of this post, click here: Beating Nervousness
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