The 2 Keys to Winning Big Moments

Think about this… in life, how many big moments do you get to show the whole world what you’re truly capable of? Those moments don’t come by very often, usually less than ten times in an entire lifetime. Ten times…. in an ocean of seconds throughout our lives, we get only a handful of chances to show the world what we can really do and let everyone know WHO WE ARE.

In my life, I remember those moments as the national championship matches, the state finals, the Ivy League school interviews. I remember knowing before each of these moments how big they were, and that knowledge carried with it anxiety, tension, and sometimes doubt. I knew that if I succeeded, a new world of opportunity would open up for me…but if I failed, this moment might not come again anytime soon, maybe ever. So what can we do to seize the opportunity and win these big moments? The two keys are PREPARATION and PRESENCE.

Preparation

We have to prepare like every next moment, every next opportunity is the most important opportunity in our lives. Because the biggest obstacle preventing us from conquering those opportunities is confidence, and to be supremely confident in every passing moment, we have to be completely prepared at all times and have our swords sharpened, shined, and ready to fight. When that big moment comes, you will be confident, prepared, and ready to win.

But even if we are supremely confident and prepared, we almost always feel a sense of doubt or maybe the doubt of others makes us start to second guess ourselves. We overcome that doubt and conquer the moment with PRESENCE.

Presence

We are commonly taught that when we feel doubt, we need to “resist it,” “ignore it,” or “block it out.” While that does work somewhat, think about it like this… if you have one hand resisting the doubt and the other hand giving yourself positive affirmations, you have no hands left to win the moment. So how do we free up both hands, be completely present, and give ourselves the best chance at success? By using a mental technique called boxing. Rather than pushing away and resisting the doubt, search for how the doubt feels in your body. Then close your eyes and create a mental image about what it feels like. It can be as detailed or abstract as you like. When you have that image, begin to create distance between it and yourself. Picture it as an island far out in the ocean getting farther and farther away. From that island, those thoughts have zero power over you, and you are free to give all of yourself to the present moment.

This technique works because you’re not resisting those thoughts but rather boxing them up, creating distance from them, and dedicating yourself to return to them at a better time. Although this technique takes practice, mastering it will allow you to be fully present during your life’s biggest moments.

Final Thoughts

As you prepare for your next big moment and master the skills of being present, remember one thing. Although big moments can be a turning point in your life, it isn’t the big moments that change your life. It is from who you become to make it to that moment. A moment is only as powerful as the person you are in it.