3 Steps to Stay Calm, Clear, and Confident in High-Stress Moments
Recently, I was preparing to fly to Tennessee to deliver a keynote speech for an event. I was running behind in getting to the airport and hurrying to make it to my gate. Huffing and puffing, I made it through the security line and to my flight just in time before the doors closed. I sat down in my seat with a sigh of relief.
As I put my hands in both pockets I felt a sense of panic and my mind race from 0-100 because I realized that I forgot my wallet at home. I had no license, no credit card, no cash. I thought, you’ve got to be kidding me!
I was flying to Atlanta, GA and needed to rent a car to drive four-and-a-half hours to Gatlinburg, TN for an event.
In that moment, the thoughts flooded in:
- How could I have forgotten something this important?
- Would I have to take a rideshare to make it to the event?
- How much is this going to cost?
It was one of those situations that could easily spiral me into panic and stress, but here are three things I learned about thriving under pressure, and how it helped me navigate through.
1. Breathe First
When the unexpected happens our minds tend to race a mile a minute. Mine certainly did. But panicked thinking rarely leads to good decisions.
The first thing I did was to stop and breathe. Just slowing my thoughts down gave me space to think more clearly: Yes, this is inconvenient. Yes, it’s stressful. But I will figure this out.
Research shows that mindful breathing reduces stress and increases prefrontal regulation, which allows you to be calm and think more clearly.
Deep breathing > calm > better decisions.
In life, moments of pressure are inevitable. But you can turn pressure into performance. Pausing to breathe calms your nervous system so you can respond effectively instead of reacting impulsively.
2. Get Clear on the Goal
Once I steadied myself, I had to get clear on the goal and the ultimate outcome. Get a car. Drive to the event. Deliver a successful keynote speach.
That clarity shifted me from overwhelm into problem-solving mode. I began researching backup options for not having a physical license, realized I could buy a temporary digital license, then texted my wife to send me images of my driver’s license and credit card.
When you calm your mind, get clear in your goals, you can start creating an action plan to change your situation. In this moment you become proactive versus reactive.
3. Commit and Adapt
At the rental counter, I was told I couldn’t rent a car without a physical license. The digital one wouldn’t do.
That could have been an obstacle. But instead of giving up, I treated it like rerouting on Google Maps: If Plan A doesn’t work, adjust and move on to Plan B.
I found a way to order a temporary driver’s license online. But it needed to be printed and there was nowhere to do that at the airport. So, I took a tram to the nearest hotel, explained my situation, and printed the license. Then I headed back to the airport car rental area hoping everything would work out.
Finally, after a long back-and-forth, one staff member agreed to rent me a car with the printed temporary license. I rented the car, drove the 4 1/2 hours to the venue, and delivered a successful keynote at the event.
The Takeaway
Situations don’t always unfold the way we want them to. Sometimes we get thrown completely off course. When this happens you can either fold or forge ahead. This experience provided me with several tools I needed in order to thrive under pressure:
- Breathe. Take a step back to collect yourself, assess the situation. Determine what is in your control and what isn’t.
- Get clear on the goal. Knowing what the goal is you can then create an action plan to help you get to where you want to go. Be proactive versus reactive turns a stressful situation into an opportunity for change and growth.
- Commit and adapt. Commit to the game plan and have several strategies in case one plan doesn’t work the way you had hoped. Being flexible allows you to reroute when needed.
You don’t have to buckle under the weight of pressure, you can learn to navigate effectively by using these lessons to thrive through the process.
That trip to Tennessee could have been remembered as a disaster. Instead, it became a reminder that resilience, adaptability, and focus are the real keys to success, on the road, in business, and in life.
