Between deadlines at work and responsibilities at home, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We want to perform better, to have a better attitude, to accomplish our goals faster – it can get crazy inside our own heads. It’s important to allow this pressure to make you better, not pull you apart, or, worse yet, freeze you in your tracks.

I haven’t seen Free Solo, the movie about the Alex Honnold climbing El Capitan without a rope, but in his TED Talk he speaks about that day, and a similar climb earlier in his career.

The first time he soloed he didn’t prepare himself adequately beforehand, and instead of feeling elated when he got to the top, he felt like he was lucky to survive. The second time he soloed, he took the time to prepare physically and mentally, and now he considers his free solo of El Capitan the best day of his life. Same pressure, different results.

Evaluate the times you’ve felt pressure in your own life, and think about the best ways you can prepare yourself, mentally and physically. Properly prepared, the pressure will help to sharpen you and push you to become even better than you are.

Let that pressure work for you, instead of against you!

If you need help dealing with pressure or want to use it to your advantage, contact business coach David D’Silva