Seth Godin wrote about the Top 10 Secrets of Marketing Process and I was caught by number 5 which say: If it makes you nervous, it’s probably a good idea. I realized how many times I felt nervous during competitions (chess, basketball, quiz bees, etc.) and on important situations in my career (critical client demo, management presentation, deal negotiations, etc.).
Experience in Point
Yesterday, I presented the software application my team has finished to the highest management team of our division before it will be sent to our U.S. counterparts for final validation. If it turns out well, the program will be presented to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer by one of the top 25 CTO’s in the world. I felt nervous hours before the presentation but was happy it turned out really well.
These days I unwind by playing DOTA with my colleagues where we end up competiting hard to win. I play as their leader getting the most hero kills every game and towards the end game where my role shines, I feel slightly nervous. I know it’s only a game but our competitive nature just would not allow us to lose.
Conclusion
I don’t like feeling nervous during situation like that (experience in point), but after reading Seth’s post it gave me a different perspective on how to approach situations where I find my heartbeat racing like crazy. I would instead welcome the feeling of nervousness and channel it to boost my confidence reminding me it’s time to win something big.
[tags]Marketing, Career[/tags]
Is it Winning Time When Your Heartbeat Turn Several Notches Higher?
