3 Reasons Why You Must Learn To Thrive Under Pressure

We like to make a big deal out of “de-stressing” ourselves, and for good reason, stress really can be a killer.  Stress and mental pressure is such a big deal in fact, that you probably don’t with too many people anymore that AREN’T stressed?  Seriously.  Part of it, sadly, is that nature of the instant-access world we live in.  We get hounded if we don’t reply to an email in 2 hours.  It’s crazy.  While much of this is self-inflicted and, in my opinion, a significant lack of personal boundaries in your work, however, there is an obvious reason to eliminate pressure in our work and lives.

However, I would submit that we actually thrive on pressure.  And if you don’t, you should really learn how to do so.  Thriving on pressure is an incredible asset to possess, and as mentioned above, is becoming more and more necessary to maintain sanity.

First, thriving under pressure, helps you eliminate it.  Sort of like how watching your weight helps your weight, right?  Not the best example, but think about it for a second.  I go back to late-night cram sessions the day before a college exam.  My roommate was the master of this skill.  He could go for a solid 6-8 hour study session, leading up to a 2-hour nap just before the exam.  The dude whooped me in GPA by the time we graduated.

Similarly, being able to perform in high-pressure situations is essential to your success.  In sports, they call this clutch.  Certain players over time are defined by the clutch performances.  When the game is on the line, they are going to turn out their best.  Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Sidney Crosby, these are the competitors you want on your team.  In your high-stress situations, are you thriving, or do you wish you were sitting on the bench watching someone else take over?  Do you hyperventilate and let stress dominate you?  Learning to embrace the pressure and keep your cool, coupled with strong time management techniques, will help you get on task and excel.

Second, anticipating pressure and stress should become second nature.  While there are absolutely jobs and industries that are far less stressful than others, pressure to perform should be present in nearly any scenario.  Whether you are sitting in that college exam, in front of panel during an interview, or making a sale, pressure will be there.  Learning to anticipate it will help prepare you and ultimately manage the pressure better.

Lastly, pressure often gives us the necessary “deadlines” we need to accomplish our work.  One particular philosophy that I have a personal love/hate over is Parkinson’s Law.  Parkinson’s Law states: “Work will expand to fill all time available for its completion.”  WOW.  Yet, how true is this?  How many times have you taken hours, to finish a project (or to study for an exam, etc.), when if you sharpened your focus, you were able to get it done.  Or, more seriously, you’re depended on for a project or report, with a firm timeline.  If you procrastinate and you’re down to the wire, by gosh, you’re getting it done in time.  Why is that?  Because you’re thriving under pressure, that’s why.  If used properly, this can be an asset, that we can use to complete our work more efficiently.

Stress is a negative thing, don’t get me wrong.  Pressure, though similar, is part of life and part of responsibility.  If we can learn to thrive in these situations, we can anticipate it, eliminate it, and use it do our work more efficiently.  This is why, truth be told we should thrive under pressure.

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