61 Anti-anxiety, confusion, and security

No. 61 – 2 Feb 2024

Welcome to the 61st edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on beating anxiety for optimal performance.

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Article

More of our work these days is about the big pitch, presentations, sales calls, etc. There are six crucial paradigm shifts to embed into your mind if you want to shine when it counts.

— Read more​

Quote

Cherie Carter-Scott, on visualizing the impossible:

“Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible.”

Insight

Confusion happens when we fail to go deeper and look at what's inside. Confusion is really a lack of clarity and direction. Depth provides meaning and meaning provides clarity. Depth is clarity.

Your performance anxiety is a result of a lack of depth. I lacked it for years until I started challenging myself, physically and mentally.

Emotion Signpost

Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.

It's key to decreasing fear and anxiety, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.

Here are 2 to explore:

Anxious

Definition | Experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

Origin | Mid 16th century: from Latin anxius (from angere ‘to choke’) + -ous.

Arrogant

Definition | Having an excessively high opinion of oneself.

Origin | Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin arrogant- ‘claiming for oneself’, from the verb arrogare.

Question

Performance anxiety has much to do with how you see yourself vis-à-vis the challenge in front of you.

It’s your insecurity that’s causing your anxiety.

Your anxiety is causing your lack of self-confidence. Security is the missing ingredient.

Security = preparation + self-awareness + feedback + risk-taking

Which ingredient, if any, is missing for you? How do you intend to obtain it?

Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef