Using Positive Nervousness To Get Results
From a young age, I have been caught up with the thrill and excitement of the Olympic Games. Something about being the best in the world has always captured my attention, and made me day dream and wonder if I had what it takes to be numero uno.
Today is no different and if your anything like me, you’ve been glued to the tube watching the coverage.
One story that really captured my attention was an interview with Bode Miller. If you are not familiar with skiing, Bode Miller is the 2010 US Olympic Bronze Medalist for Downhill skiing (exhilarating sport to watch, by the way!). His medal represented the first US medal in the event since the 1994 Olympics. That is 16 years with no hardware for the US!
The last Olympics (in 2006), were disappointing for Miller. He had been touted as the Worlds Fastest Skier. Well, he didn’t put on a great performance and failed to even medal. So given his high profile and notoriety in his sport, the skiing world sat watching how he would handle the pressure coming in to the Vancouver Games.
On top of that, the weather has not been great for the skiing events, resulting in numerous delays and re-scheduling. While Miller had a practice run several days ago, the conditions had changed drastically since then.
A perfect recipe for disaster for Miller: Nerves. Past failures in his mind. Unanticipated re-scheduling. And an unfamiliar course with unfamiliar conditions.
So how did he respond? Differently than you might expect.
Normally, Miller said he fights off the nervousness. This time was different. He told this reporter that he let it take over.
You may be confused right now like I was… maybe thinking, “how could he have done well being so nervous?”
Miller explained it wasn’t the bad-anxious nervousness. It was an incredibly ‘positive nervousness’. He let it consume him. He let it heighten his senses and create a sense of anticipation and excitement. He let it create an intense focus on the task at hand. This allowed him to pay attention to every inch of the unfamiliar course, and adapt appropriately to the unfamiliar conditions.
The result? An Olympic medal. Sure it is not the Gold, but it is a great way for Miller to build confidence going into his next 4 medal opportunities.
I have found this to absolutely true in achieving results and goals. Sometimes after experiencing a setback, like Miller did, I notice two natural reactions (both bad): either I loose heart and get discouraged… or I get nervous that I won’t achieve my goals. But with some practice, I can say with certainty that it gets easier and easier to turn those anxiety ridden nerves into a “positive nervousness”… that allows me to find even more motivation and focus to for what I am pursuing.
What is your goal? To be a full time trader? To make a certain amount of money? To be free from the 9-5 rat race?
If so, let “positive nervousness” take over today as you take one more step toward your goal… and make sure to tell me about it by leaving a comment below.
One Response to “Using Positive Nervousness To Get Results”
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Great article – This nervousness you described in your article is known as eustress, which literally means “good stress”. By definition, this is the type of “positive” stress that keeps us vital and excited about life. I learned about this during my training to be a ED/Trauma Nurse and learned to utilize this stress to provide the best outcomes for my patients. I am now working at utilizing eustress to become a successful trader.