Welcome to the fourth blog post in the series “Monthly Mindset Shift”! As the name indicates, this series will have one new post per month for the next several months. Each post in the series will detail a positive mindset shift we can make surrounding a feeling or experience that generally has a negative connotation. (Spoiler alert: For this post, that experience is being tested—literally and figuratively!) These shifts aren’t designed to erase all of our difficult/unwanted emotions around the topic at hand. Rather, they simply serve to improve our general outlook on the matter, which can, in turn, improve our actions and our outcomes. They’re all the more proof that a healthier, more constructive mindset can change the game!
Throughout life, from a pretty young age, we’re often being tested, both literally and figuratively. There are tests that you sit down to take at school and challenging situations where you feel a certain quality of yours (ex: your patience) being tested. Either way, chances are, you’re not jumping for joy at the prospect of having to prove yourself. In fact, you may feel anxious and overwhelmed even thinking about it, understandably so. Any kind of test can be intimidating, whether or not you feel confident about how you’ll perform.
Before jumping into the mindset shift, I’d recommend reading Monthly Mindset Shift: Handling Failure with Confidence if you haven’t yet. Adjusting your outlook on failure in a constructive way can set you up for success in any scenario involving tests. If you aren’t deathly afraid of failure, you’re less likely to feel terrified about tests that life throws your way. After all, there’s not as much to be nervous about when you know you’ll be okay regardless of the outcome. You know that for as long as you continue trying, you haven’t truly failed.
Now, onto the mindset shift that will take this progress a step further. If you break down what a test is designed to do, it’s really just an opportunity to showcase your strong suits. It’s a chance for you to demonstrate how much you know, how skilled you are at a given task, or in a more figurative test, how much you possess a given characteristic (i.e. when your patience, strength, willpower, etc. are being tested in a real life situation). That knowledge, skill, characteristic, etc. is already within you. All you have to do in the moment is channel it! The most important thing you can do in advance is prepare to succeed, however that preparation may look…
For a literal test, it might look like making a study guide, using flashcards, testing yourself, having a friend test you, etc. For a figurative test, it might look like reflecting on how to best handle the situation and maybe consulting with people you trust. It also might look like getting your mindset in the right place, possibly through activities such as journaling and reflecting. Regardless, look back on what methods of preparation have worked best for you in the past. Chances are, they’ll continue to come in handy for tests of a similar nature!
In doing this preparation, you may not be able to shake off every last nerve. However, at least you’ll feel more confident in your ability to put your best foot forward. Your competency should feel like a superpower, bringing you from the beginning of the test to the end with success. Step into your power by arming yourself with as much knowledge and as many tools as you need to succeed. Think of it this way—if it wasn’t possible for you to succeed at this test, you wouldn’t be in a position to take it. That doesn’t guarantee success on the first try, but it is a reminder that you’re NOT an imposter, even if you feel like one!
The crazy and amazing thing about this mindset hack is that it prompts you to convert your nerves into excitement. It’s easy to overlook the fact that these two emotions are just different sides of the same coin. The only difference is that one has a negative energy while the other has a positive one. Seeing a nerve-wracking situation as a chance to rise to the occasion, and in turn, experience the benefits of doing so, might just be all it takes to make that difference within you. Worst comes to worst, you don’t do as well as you hoped. But the insight you gained from the first time around will undoubtedly help you do better next time. As always, it’s all about trusting the process and yourself.
Let your tests serve as important opportunities to show not only the tester (if applicable), but yourself, the extent of your capabilities. You don’t always know what you’re capable of until you have to demonstrate it. So, when you get the chance, wow yourself! (No pun intended! ;))
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