I believe in eating the same breakfast before every exam
I believe in lighting a candle when I study
I believe in lucky socks (I don’t have a pair)
I believe in lucky shirts (Every major test since 2004)
I believe in not stepping on the lines of a baseball field before the game starts
I believe in rituals
I believe in warm drinks
I believe in brand new baseball bats
I believe in listening to the same exact song on repeat
I believe that every day is a new day
I’ve come to discover that the mind games you play with yourself create your reality. When you predict that you’re going to fail, your heart races, you can’t concentrate, and then you do fail.
Feel like you’re going to hit the ball. You’re calm and comfortable. You see clearly and you get a hit.
A brand-new shiny baseball bat makes you think you’re better than you are. That confidence then makes you better than you are. Not the bat per say, but what the bat does to your brain.
My wife hates my test-taking shirt. It is full of holes and now (wow) 16 years old. It is magical and totally works. It literally makes me a better test taker. The confidence and calm it brings makes me better.
Rituals and routines work as well. They build confidence.
I recommend starting a routine using The Final Step every day for 10 minutes. You’ll build the habit, the routine of answering questions calmly.
Brian Wallace
