If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that the popular idea of "rising to the occasion" is actually a myth that might be sabotaging your performance?
- Have you ever wondered why your brain often freezes up during high-stakes moments, and how you can rewire that response?
- What's the secret to building a "pressure-less" mindset that allows you to stay calm and focused when the stakes are at their highest?
Listen to Performing Under Pressure — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from Performing Under Pressure
- Discover why the belief that you work better under pressure is a myth, as science reveals it actually impedes creativity, distorts your thinking, and blocks your procedural memory.
- Understand the critical difference between stress and pressure so you can conquer stressful demands by focusing on the present moment, and defeat pressure by focusing on the final successful result.
- Learn how to prevent cognitive distortions and avoid 'choking' by simply adjusting your internal language, such as changing high-pressure phrases like 'I need' to 'I want'.
- Master the art of minimizing pressure by keeping a realistic perspective and pre-ranking your personal values so you never compromise them during high-stakes moments.
- Find out how to build your 'COTE' of armor—Confidence, Optimism, Tenacity, and Enthusiasm—and use simple physical power poses to immediately lower anxiety and boost performance.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Performing Under Pressure
Mind Map
Performing Under Pressure
Understanding Pressure vs. Stress
The Impact of Pressure
Defining Stress
Defining Pressure
The Mechanics of Choking
Perfectionism
Procedural Memory Block
Cognitive Distortions
Tactical Pressure Reduction
Perspective Shift
Preparation over Worry
Value Alignment
Physical Grounding
The 'COTE' of Armor
Confidence
Optimism
Tenacity
Enthusiasm
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 7
According to the book, what is a common misconception people have about working under deadline pressure?
Performing Under Pressure — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: To beat stress, focus on the present moment. To beat pressure, focus on successful outcomes.
Chapter 3: Pressure can instantly reduce your ability to perform, simply through the way it makes you think.
Chapter 4: Tackle pressure moments with the right strategies. A handy rule of thumb: relax a little bit!
Chapter 5: Confidence and optimism are the primary traits for handling and conquering pressure effectively.
Chapter 6: Tenacity and enthusiasm finish your “COTE” of armor. Pressure won’t stand a chance!
Performing Under Pressure Summary & Overview
Performing Under Pressure (2015) offers a guide to building confidence and overcoming high-pressure situations to achieve your loftiest goals. You’ll discover why it’s difficult to perform when the stakes are high and learn practical strategies to help you conquer performance stress.
Who Should Listen to Performing Under Pressure?
- People who struggle working under pressure
- Scientists or students looking at performance-related stress issues
- Athletes, students or anyone preparing for a high-stakes event
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