Managing Stage Fright with Positive Projection

The fastest man on Earth, Usain Bolt, set a new world record for the men’s 100-meter dash at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He crossed the finish line in 9.69 seconds, a full body-length ahead of his nearest competitor.

I remember watching the event on TV at home. The Olympic stadium fell silent as the referee lifted his starting gun. The runners stretched out, motionless in their starting blocks, and waited. What were they thinking in the moment before that shot?

I’ll tell you what they weren’t thinking. “What’s the point? Everybody here is faster than me. I’m going to embarrass myself in front of the whole world, and everybody’s going to laugh at me. Hey, Ref! Point that gun this way.”

Usain Bolt certainly thought differently. “My aim was to come out and win,” he said after his victory. He was focused on the prize. In his mind, he had crossed the finish line first, even before the race began. It was his projection of a positive outcome that facilitated his success.

My previous post explains how the same technique can help you to overcome the psychological effects of stage fright. Success is easier to achieve if you set your mind to confidence rather than fear before your performance begins. Visualize positive results rather than negative possibilities. Anticipate appreciative applause from your audience rather than embarrassing questions you cannot answer. Talk yourself up rather than down.

Imagine everything going perfectly. You know your stuff and your audience will be impressed with your knowledge. You are the expert, and you have what they need to know. Your boss is in the audience? Great. This is your chance to earn the promotion you’ve been waiting for.

Positive projection will propel you through the critical -- but always frightening -- beginning moments of your performance. Once you realize how well you’re doing and how supportive your audience is, the remainder of your delivery will be a cruise.

Projecting a positive outcome continues to work for Usain Bolt. A year after his Olympic performance, he smashed his own record at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. Through practice and experience with this technique, success in overcoming stage fright can be yours as well.

To better your outcome, you’d better change your mind.