Grandparents

I hit the grandparent jackpot. As a kid, they doted on me and my siblings. We could do no wrong.

While they are no longer here, I often think of my Grandma Ya. When I played soccer as a kid, my grandma would come and watch me play. She was always on the sidelines, clapping her hands and yelling, “Go, Brian!” No matter what, whether we won 5-0 or lost 5-0, Grandma Ya would always tell me how proud she was of me.

Over the years I have channeled Grandma Ya when I am performing. Whether I was delivering a big speech for work, taking a test in graduate school, or playing basketball on Wednesday nights, I have always tried to have my Grandma Ya in my back pocket.

Perhaps you have or have had a grandparent who supported you unconditionally, or maybe it’s your partner, a friend, or a parent. Who supports you? What can you do to ensure they are there to help positively prime your performance? If you are playing a sport or performing on stage, be clear to your support system as to what you need from them when they are in the crowd.

Conversely, how will you handle a hostile environment that isn’t filled with “grandmas?” What can you do to shift your attention from a negative environment to a useful one? Where is your focus? Additionally, who are you in touch with before a big performance? What do you want to do with your phone leading up to a competition? There is extensive science on the power of environment on our performance. Make sure you are bringing the right people into your environment whenever possible. Find your Grandma Ya and invite them into your performance world.