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Results create freedom.

I performed well all through my school and college life. My parents never asked me about my schedule or my whereabouts. They never applied any constraints. I was a performer.

I performed well in my work in my first job after business school. Hence I was given the freedom to come and go as I wished. I was allowed to create my own business plans, to suggest changes in the way things are done, and so on. I was a performer.

Results always create freedom.

To create results, I need to learn to manage brilliantly well under pressure – be it pressure of deadlines, pressure of competition, pressure of possible failure, pressure of comparison.

Here is a formula that we discussed in the DWT huddle recently that helps me to perform under pressure.

Boxify

This is something my mother taught me. She said ’never allow negative emotions from one aspect of life to flow into other aspects of life’. Keeps different areas of life neatly and separately in boxes. Work issues should not flow into home, personal issues should not affect work, financial issues should not affect my relationships with my kids, and so on. When in a particular box, be 100% in that box, and work to solve the issues. Don’t think about other boxes!

Obsess

All great people are a little obsessive when it comes to creating results. They go into minute details when needed, they take a big picture view when needed, they delegate when needed, they roll up their sleeves when needed, but whatever it is, then never lose focus. They are obsessed about what they are doing. This may sound contrary to the previous point about boxify, but it’s not. When in a box, be obsessed about results in that box!

Stabilise

Any system that functions at high speed, also need a very high degree of accuracy and stability. A train that travels at 70 km per hour can afford to be rickety and shaky. But imagine a bullet train that travels at 300 km per hour. It needs to be super stable. I meditate regularly, I exercise regularly, I express gratitude regularly, and it helps be anchor on to peace and stability. Hence, managing speed in my life is not an issue!

Simulate

My cousin Kush is a captain for a leading airline. But ever since I’ve known him, he used to love playing Flight Simulator on his PC. Even as he trained to be a pilot, his course included countless hours on simulators. I used this strategy when I was preparing for my entrance examination for MBA college. I would do practise tests at the exact time and in the similar kind of environment as where the final test was scheduled to be held. I would sleep at the same time that I planned to sleep on the penultimate night. I would wake up and eat breakfast at the same time, pack my bags, all in the same way as I would on the final test day. I simulated the final test conditions. This helped me reduce the final day anxiety by more than 70%! I like to do this every time I am preparing for an important event, presentation, training program or meeting. It works.

Support system

Finally, I’m blessed to have people around me who nudge me, remind me, love me, and never grudge me! They tell me time and again that I am good, I am capable, I am here to make a difference. They are tough with me when I slack out, but love me enough to give me a hug and make me believe in myself. I also like to surround myself with people who are doing 100 times more than me, to serve as a reminder about the ‘miles to go’. Keeps me grounded.

So there you go, my five simple points that always help me perform even under pressure.

Results create FREEDOM!