3 tips for being at your best at big moments

“Great performers produce great work on great occasions,” we are told. Some people have a positive approach at critical moments - others become paralysed. As Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Imagine you are going to face a tough situation in the future. Let’s explore how you can be at your best when it happens.

1) You can clarify your successful pattern at big moments.

Looking back on your life, recall the times when you have performed well at big moments. You may have been giving a presentation, passing an exam, playing crucial match, solving a crisis or whatever. Looking at each of these situations, what did you do right then to be successful? Can you see any patterns? Try completing the following sentences.

Looking back, the times when I have
performed well at big moments have been:

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Looking at these examples, my successful pattern
for performing well at such big moments is:

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2) You can rehearse being at your best at a future big moment.

“I always practice before giving tough news to patients,” said one doctor. “During our training we did little on the ‘human side of medicine’, so I took the initiative to attend many workshops on the topic. Every doctor has their own way of giving difficult messages. It may be routine for them - but each time is special for each patient. I normally say something like: ‘I am afraid it is not good news. This is the situation …… And here are your options.’ Normally the patient has prepared themselves for the news. But the way you communicate means a lot for them and their family.”

Describe the potential critical moments that you may face in the future. Focus on one crucial time and do two things. First, clarify the real results you want to achieve in the situation. Second, describe how you can do your best. Try completing the follow exercise.

Looking ahead, the big moment I may face in the future is:

*
The specific results I want to achieve at the big moment are:

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*

*
The specific things I can do to perform well at the big moment are:

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3) You can be at your best during the big moment.

The true test comes when you are in the midst of the tough situation. Suddenly you think: “This is no longer theory. It is actually happening. Now it is up to me to behave in the way that I believe-in.” Be true to yourself, follow your principles and do your best during the critical moment. This is your opportunity to grow as a person. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to concentrate and keep
doing my best during the midst of the big moment are:

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