I'm approaching the end of my training week in anticipation of the big test in Brussels on Tuesday. Now I know how those East German gymnasts must have felt, exercising morning noon and night "with a leotard full of hormones" as Victoria Wood so deftly put it.
Despite the importance of being in tip-top condition on the day of the test, I'm starting to think that the most important thing is being mentally and spiritually prepared for it, so that I'm in the right frame of mind to perform well in what will be an extremely high-pressure situation.
The main thing which I've realised is that it's me, and no-one else, who controls exactly how high-pressure the test situation will be, and that the best thing I can do to ensure that I'm not overly nervous is to make peace with both possible outcomes, good and bad, long before I actually go into the room.
Whatever happens on Tuesday morning, whether I pass the test or not, I've truly discovered over the course of the last year what it is that I actually want to do with my life, and that is something which is extremely valuable. Of course, now that I've identified that path, I'm eager to follow it as quickly as possible, but the important thing is to have found it - and one failed test, if it comes to that, needn't stand in my way. It's time, after years of career drifting, to play the long game.
Posted by Eurodan at July 10, 2003 2:01 PMThey don´t make you wear a leotard when you´re interpreting, do they? LOL.
I think you´ve got the right idea about the pressure. But here´s a little extra encouragement... To paraphrase my A-level physics teacher:
If you don´t pass the insertion test, there´s something wrong with the test!
Best of luck on Tuesday. I´ll be thinking of you.
Posted by: Shyboy at July 11, 2003 8:24 AM