Head Tilt #78: I'm scited (sacred and excited)

That's right-- I'm scited! 

Big race coming up in San Diego... (3/27)

Mentally I go through my checklist:

 ✅  Have I trained enough?  (I think so? I guess I could always train more.)

 ✅  Have I done enough hill work? (Hmmm... too late now if I haven't!)

 ✅  Did I plan my taper-week right?  (Sure! I love an excuse to take it slow and eat a few more carbs.)

 ✅  Do I have the right gear: socks, shoes, etc?  (Absolutely yes on this one!)

 ✅  Do I have my hydration tabs?  (Another yes)

 ✅  Do I have the right playlist?  (Still might add a song or two...)

I am ready! I am also scited.

Scited means the state of being scared and excited at the same time. It's a portmanteau created by the wonderful human, Glennon Doyle. 

And I am scited when I think about the race. 

I am excited about the thrill of racing. It's so much FUN! The amped energy of the racers is exhilarating! I am also eager to see what my body is capable of this year. 

I am scared that I didn't prepare enough after all. I am scared I won't finish in a time that I consider respectable. What if I bonk?! 

Here's the thing: Anxiety (being scared) is a state of negative arousal. Excitement is nearly the same exact experience physically, but it's a state of positive arousal. 

I first heard this from Tony Robbins at his Unleash the Power Within conference and it blew my mind. 🤯 Shortly after, I tested the idea. My son and I were in line for The Twilight Zone Hollywood Tower of Terror -- a 130ft elevator drop ride in Disney California Adventure. At the time, it was my son's favorite ride and my least favorite. It was so scary!!! Even my butterflies were biting their nails when I stood in that queue. 

I committed long ago never to be a sideline mom, so despite my anxiety, I agreed to ride it with him each time we visited the park. 

As we waited our turn, I started thinking about anxiety and excitement as the same thing, different perspective. 

I thought how fun it was to be with Brendan. I thought how safe I was (despite the ruse of a broken elevator) and what a thrill the ride was. I actually talked myself into a different state of mind.

Did I still have butterflies? Oh yeah! An entire parade of butterflies do-si-doed in my belly! 

But now I was much more excited and much less scared. 

I've used the same mind game with the anxiety I feel before a big presentation or interview. I can feel the butterflies, but I let them lift me. 

As for the race, my scared parts are real, but they aren't as loud as the excited parts. 

My mind is reading the pre-race jitters as information and then turning it into fuel. 

I might bonk (doubtful). I might not finish in the time I want (could happen), but I am dressing this particular parade of butterflies in the best damn outfits I can imagine. 

Now they are all doing high-kicks in unison while cheering me on. 

I think they'll help me fly come Sunday morning. 

On my mark.

Get set.

GO! 

Head Tilt #26: Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years...

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!