That line has stuck with me since it I saw Wayne’s World in 1992.Maybe it’s the way Dana Carvey’s character Garth says it, but either way it stuck and I use it all the time.
It probably stuck at least partially for the same reason it was such a funny line -because it’s true.
Our brains react to new experiences more often than not with fear. Humans tend to like things to stay the same. Most of us prefer comfort to the unknown.
One way to overcome the unknown or a new situation is by using routines. Routines act like a nice, cuddly, teddy bear for your brain. They are soothing.
Routines help us to feel comfortable and safe in new environments or situations. We can use routines to make it feel like we’ve been there before.
Watching the Olympics, I think about the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps. The guy has twenty-three gold medals. Do you know how many the next closest person has? Don’t struggle; I’ll tell you, nine. One of the things I noticed that Phelps did so well was control the mental game. He had a warm-up routine that took him over two hours to complete. Part of that was to get his body warm, but a significant factor was getting him into the right mental place.
By performing that routine the same way, no matter where in the world he was or how big the event was, he could tell himself, “This is just another race. I’ve been here before.” It was like pulling a warm blanket over himself.
In the September issue of the Physician Assistant Exam Scholars Newsletter, I go through my “warm up” routine. How I get myself ready for big exams to keep the monsters at bay. I also cover five other techniques you can use to help you feel like you’ve been there before. Like you can handle it, even on the toughest, scariest day.
Staying calm doesn’t come natural to all of us. Some of us have to work hard at it.
But without question your best performances will come when you’re calm.
Get a copy of the September edition of the Physician Assistant Exam Scholars Newsletter, and you’ll be cool as a cucumber for you next exam.
Physician Assistant Exam Scholars
Brian Wallace
P.S. The key to these skills is to practice over time. Sure, they’ll help the day you start implementing them, but when you practice them on smaller exams over months (or years) is when you’ll really see the payoff.
