In today’s hypercompetitive world, we all face significant pressure to perform. In the business world, these pressures come in many forms, including, but not limited to, urgent project deadlines, stretch goals, sales presentations and negotiations with millions of dollars on the line, question and answer sessions with a challenging audience, tough feedback from your boss, job interviews, and the ever-increasing mantra to “do more with less.” At school, pressures can come in the form of heavy workloads, exams, and the social desire to fit in. Whether it’s a dance competition, a piano recital, or a baseball game, even our recreation is filled with pressure.
We want to be our best when it matters most. But something happens when the pressure rises. In too many cases, we get in our own way and sabotage our performance. Across every profession and walk of life, choking under pressure continues to plague performers.
It doesn’t need to be this way. Rick Peterson and I can help. Rick is the most renowned pitching coach on the planet. He coached the Oakland A’s pitching staff during the famed Moneyball era. He also coached a New York Mets pitching staff comprised of All-Stars, Cy Young Award winners, and Hall of Famers.
In addition to sharing Rick’s wisdom, Crunch Time shares the performance under pressure secrets gathered from my interviews with a number of other elite leaders, coaches and performers. If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll recognize Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane of Moneyball fame, Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito, and the inspirational Olympic hero Jim Abbott. I also share the wisdom of elite performers outside of baseball, including CEOs, executive coaches, a Navy SEAL trainer, leadership guru Ken Blanchard and award-winning director Steven Soderbergh.
Rick’s and my experience and interviews with elite performers reveal that, even more than physical skills, it’s performers’ mindsets that separate the best from the rest under pressure. Clutch performers know how to think on command in ways that help, rather than harm, their performance. Thinking differently is the starting point. Change how you act, and change your results.
Thoughts & Emotions -> Actions -> Results
Throughout the book, I share with you how I’ve applied what Rick and others taught me to my professional and personal life. By doing so, you will see that the key skill Rick uses to enable his pitchers to come through in the clutch is not just for millionaire professional athletes, coaches, and CEOs. It’s for all of us.
What is this key skill? Reframing. At its core, reframing describes the skill of consciously and intentionally thinking about a situation from one or more different perspectives. This, in turn, allows us to shift the meaning we attach the situation, the actions we take, and the results we achieve. You can use reframing to quickly and effectively equip your mind and body to perform well under pressure, anytime, anywhere.
When were under pressure, we can think about the situation in one of two ways—either as a threat or as an opportunity. Seeing the pressure situation as a threat cripples our performance. Seeing the pressure situation as an opportunity helps our performance.
Why is reframing under pressure necessary? Unfortunately, our reflexive, instinctual reaction is to perceive pressure situations as threats. While this caveman-like reaction helped us survive in prehistoric times, it prevents us from thriving under modern-day pressures. By reframing, you can tame your instinctual caveman reaction and choose a better response that enables you to deal with the situation effectively instead of being overwhelmed by it.
Rick and I share with you a wealth of reframes that teach you how to shift your thoughts and feelings from threat to opportunity. These include reframing from trying harder to trying easier, from tension to laughter, from anxiety to taking control, from doubt to confidence, from failure to a learning moment, and from prepared to overprepared.
While Crunch Time shares a number of entertaining, behind-the-scenes stories from Rick’s career in baseball, you don’t need to be a baseball fan to find this book enjoyable and valuable. The lessons shared transcend baseball, applying to the everyday pressure situations you face. Furthermore, the lessons shared by the elite leaders, coaches and performers are not just for the elite; they are relevant and valuable for everyone.
At crunch time, you can experience the pain of choking or the pure joy of coming through in the clutch. This book gives you the knowledge, skill, and confidence you need to consistently be your best when it matters most.
Crunch Time: How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most is launching January 23, 2017. It’s now available for pre-order on your favorite online bookstores.
