Q: How can you pump up your energy, change your state and boost your confidence in less than five minutes?
A: Play your pump song!
I'm not talking about simply tuning into music that you enjoy. This is different than turning up songs that make you tap your toes, or just listening to playlists from your favorite artist.
That's all good, but hearing your pump song is more specific.
It's the song that has a spell over you. You can't resist it! It's your fight song. It reverberates through your soul as soon as you hear the first few notes. It psyches you up, gives you energy and makes you say "LET'S DO THIS!"
You don't know yours? It serves you to figure it out!
Your pump song doesn't have to be your favorite song (mine isn't), but it does need to be the one that
pumps
you
up
every
single
time
you hear it.
For two decades, I've been coaching people to identify their confidence-building, energizing pump song.
Some semesters I would ask my college public speaking students to tell me their pump song. Then, for those who were willing, we'd play it in the class before they gave their presentations. The change in their demeanor was obvious! Okay, maybe it didn't make them immediately embrace the idea of giving a speech; overcoming that fear takes time (and I promise to address it in future posts). Still, most were able to move a bit closer to feeling energized instead of simply anxious. (Same feeling, btw, different perspective!)
Some smiled. Some laughed. Some danced their way up to the podium while their classmates clapped. All forgot their angst-- if only for a moment.
Today I coach clients to change their state by identifying their own pump song. Once they know it, they can use it to get stoked! They don't over-use it, but instead play it purposefully, whenever they need a little extra.
They can listen to it on Monday morning as they prep for the work week. They can stream it though their ear-buds on the way to a job interview. They can hum it before an important sales pitch or ask Alexa to blast it from the living room, before they lead an important Zoom meeting.
We know how we show up matters. We can direct our minds to focus on something that positively charges us. We can use a song to get fired up when we know we need to.
So what's your personal pump song?
Do you want to know mine?
First, know that I have lots of different songs that make me move-- like Benny Goodman's swing masterpiece "Sing, Sing, Sing" and Odesza's brilliant production of "Loyal."
But my pump song hits me to the core. Interestingly, it has been the same song for quite a while.
When I need a little extra oomph,
When I need to change my state of mind,
When I need to raise my energy,
Mama Said Knock You Out by L.L. Cool J gets me pumped up every time. 🥊 🥊
PS: That's an active link for those of you who don't know this classic!
 |
| Hey fear, anxiety and doubt: I'm gonna knock you out! |
