Confidence comes from previous success. Even success at completely unrelated things. Your confidence in learning medicine may come from having done well in high school algebra.
Lack of confidence comes from the same place. You may be terrified of Pharm because you did awful in Anatomy and everyone says Pharm is harder.
Both mindsets come from somewhere, from some past events you are extrapolating to the present. We do this constantly, both consciously and unconsciously. Today, you are going to do it build confidence and success consciously. There are two ways of doing this: you can either create some success to work with, or you can think back to a time when you were successful. We are going to focus on the second one.
Think back to a time when you were successful at something. Anything. Think about when you undertook a task and completed it. Applying to PA school is a good one. Completing a 5k, packing all day to get out the door for a vacation. Getting a job you really wanted. Success with sports is an easy one to look back at, if that applies to you. Heck, making breakfast will even work.
Anything you may have done that you were a success at. Cleaning the bathroom. Painting the kitchen. Anything. Really. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
Now the next step after choosing something is to think about how you got it done. Not what the steps are in the task, but how did YOU get it done. What did YOU do to accomplish that success? Was there a voice in your head coaching you? Did you struggle and fight through the late hours to get it done? Did you create a checklist and then work through it? Did you ask someone to keep tabs on you as an aide? Where did your brain go? What pushed you to put in the extra effort to get the job done?
Once you have that idea, grab hold of it. Use that idea moving forward. Use that plan, that coach, that whatever and apply it your current issue. This is a total game changer.
Let me paint a better picture:
I’ve been struggling lately to sit down and get work done for the website. I’ve got ideas for awesome products that would be really helpful, but I just can’t get my butt in gear and get it started. Yeah, sure, I’m busy and blah blah blah.
Exercise has been the same way. I’ve been slowly getting into worse and worse shape. I know I need to get back on it, but I’m busy and blah blah blah blah blah.
Then I read this book about a guy who hired a Navy SEAL to live with him for a month. The guy wanted to get in better shape and shake up his life a little. Well this Navy SEAL is hardcore, as you can imagine. He gets the guy up every morning for at least a 6-mile run, and then has him run 3 miles before bed, no matter what. The regiment gets harder and harder from there. It’s the SEAL’s “get it done at all costs” attitude that got inside my head.
Suddenly I find myself up at 4:45, putting in 5 miles before work. I’m killing it. And the whole time I’m climbing out of bed I can hear this guy’s voice:
“It’s go-time Mother f——r.”
“We stop when we’re done, not when we’re tired.”
“We don’t stop to piss. This is run time, it isn’t piss time. Run faster if you need to go.”
I’m hearing this 6-foot 250 lb. Navy SEAL tell me not to make excuses. Get it done. I play that tape in my head over and over and over and I’m cranking out the miles.
Then I come across this idea.
Take what worked for you on previous successes, and use it on your next project.
So simple right? Why am I not already doing this? Why am I not using what gets me through a workout to get me through a writing project?
Today I banged out more writing and got further along on my new material then I have in the past six months. Every time I think, “Oh, I’m a little thirsty maybe I’ll get a quick drink.”
That Navy SEAL in my head immediately counters with:
“This isn’t drink time. This is work time. You can drink all you want on your own time, but don’t you dare get out of that chair on work time. This is work time.”
And it works! Now this guy may not be the motivator for you. I’m not saying use the tape running in my head. I’m saying think about what has worked for you. What helped you get over the hump, fight through and succeed in the past. What helped you get it done.
You could have laid out a plan, step by step, and followed that while applying to PA school. Use that method now that you’re studying.
You may have set up all your supplies in advance and pulled an all-nighter to get the kitchen painted. Give that a try to get a boost on your productivity.
How do you reach success? You’re here, so you’ve had a bit of success already! What did you do to get here?
Can you use that system to keep winning?
Here’s the next key: Use what worked in the past BUT keep learning and testing new things, too. In this month’s edition of Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter, you’re going to learn a whole new set of skills and practices for taking tests. Why not dive into the past to learn what you can, and then pick up new skills to add to the mix as you go? It’s a win-win way to go.
You can be certain that you’ll be adding new skills to your test-taking tricks by clicking this here link:
Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter
Brian Wallace