The actor slips over their words; the violinist freezes mid-song; the shortstop misses an easy grounder.
Mistakes happen, no matter the expert. But how many errors are due to overthinking?
We worry as a preventative, living through hyperbole in our heads before experiencing any such horror in real life.
Dizziness of anxiety indicates a lack of preparation. Deliberate daily practice not only improves our skills but also quells our fears.
We work better when we unthink. Doing the work reconciles with the monkey mind.
We may be unable to think ourselves better, inculcating a hardened thought as a placebo. But we can strengthen habit, cementing positive action through bicep curls for the mind.
Uncertainty tries to shipwreck lives. Doubt likes to spread and replicate like a virus, preempting all our efforts and encouraging us to play it safe.
All the energy comes from beheading the internal resistance and replacing it with hard work. We must permit ourselves to attack life and refuse to negotiate with the dialectic and its ”what ifs.”
Thankfully, we starve for expression. Our craft is a serious matter.
Discipline is freedom. It’s the only thing we can fire up to help control rising self-doubt.
The most significant gains in confidence come from executing the production process itself.