Dealing with Pressure
Pressure is a normal part of life. Everyone is under some sort of pressure each and every day. What matters, though, is not how much pressure we are under, but how we keep pressure in perspective and handle it accordingly.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot eliminate pressure. This is not a bad thing. Pressure is what challenges us and keeps us motivated. Without pressure we would miss out on the lessons that dealing with pressure teaches us. Those who learn to embrace pressure and utilize it to their advantage are the ones who will experience a great deal of success and satisfaction in life.
Can you deal with pressure on an everyday basis? Answer the following questions to put your pressure-taking skills to the test:
- You have a deadline to meet on a very important project, and you are nowhere close to completing it. Would you:
- Give up and use the excuse that the project put too much pressure on you and there was no way that you could handle it?
- Cheat or finish the project but with only half of the effort, and use the same excuse that the pressure was too much?
- Roll up your sleeves and face the pressure head-on, giving the job your very best effort?
- A friend of yours is pressuring you to break a bad habit of eating too much fast food. Would you:
- Get rid of your friend, and hold on to the excuse that a real friend would not put you under so much pressure?
- Argue with your friend using the excuse that your day is so busy and you don’t have time to deal with the pressure of eating more healthfully.
- Accept your friend’s caring effort to help you live a healthier life, and make changes in your eating habits.
- A relative of yours is pressuring you to take his side in a family conflict. Would you:
- Take his side because he is pressuring you to do so?
- Tell him you are on his side, but behind his back explain to your family that you are not really on his side?
- Stand up to him and tell him that although you are family, you will not be pressured into taking sides.
If you answered “a” to any of the questions above, then you are not very good at dealing with pressure. You most likely go with the flow, which means that you probably put yourself into tougher situations simply because you give in to pressure. If you answered “b” to any of the questions above, you are also not very good at dealing with pressure, yet you try to hide the fact. If you answered “c” to all of the questions above, then you are very good at dealing with pressure and you are strong enough to stand up for yourself and admit when you are wrong.
Pressure comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. If you learn how to deal with pressures large and small, then you will essentially live a life with less stress and more success. The happiest and most successful people share one thing in common: they all work best when their backs are against the wall. You can rise to the occasion or buckle under pressure. Only you are in control of how you deal with pressure. The choice is yours.
