| In Round 1 of the Stage Fright Fight (performance | | | | growing with training, practice and experience. What |
| anxiety) I wrote about the automatic negative | | | | kind of mindset hat do you wear most of the time? |
| thoughts that flow through your head before a | | | | 1. When you are criticized whether by a teacher, a |
| performance. Remember: The biggest challenge when | | | | critic or a colleague put on your "learning hat and |
| dealing with stage fright (performance anxiety) is to | | | | don't automatically think, "I'm a failure I'll never make |
| learn to talk back to the thoughts. Let's spend a | | | | it." Put your feelings aside and don't blow everything |
| minute thinking about the origin of these distorted | | | | out of proportion. Destroy the "all or nothing" thinking |
| thoughts. | | | | hat. Now that you have your "learning hat" on what |
| Do you remember family members, teachers or | | | | can you learn? Is there learning you can take away |
| friends telling you how you are not good enough or | | | | from the situation? |
| talented enough? Watch out for those voices living | | | | 2. Perfectionism is destructive and distorted. Are you |
| inside your head and notice how they seem to get | | | | a perfectionist? Are you either perfect or a failure? |
| louder before a performance. Listen, these voices are | | | | This is an excellent example of the "fixed mindset." |
| from your past and they have nothing to do with | | | | Think of your talent and skill as constantly evolving. |
| your future. Don't give them power over you! | | | | Think about how the earth has changed over millions |
| I've heard some pretty rough stories about | | | | of years. As a species we are continuously evolving. |
| instructors such as acting teachers or dance teachers | | | | Think of yourself as evolving in your craft. The |
| completely tearing down a student. Some extremely | | | | perfectionist idea you have is very distorted not to |
| talented students have given up their craft because | | | | mention destructive to your career. By our very |
| of the brutal criticism they received from instructors. | | | | nature we evolve. |
| It sounds to me like some of these instructors have | | | | 3. Stop comparing yourself to others. This is a huge |
| an ego problem. Excellent teachers excite the | | | | factor in stage fright. Stop looking at someone who |
| student and provide honest feedback with | | | | is experienced and excelling in their craft as |
| encouragement. They don't feel the need to humiliate | | | | permanently better than you. Put on your learning |
| their students. I'm sorry to hear you may have | | | | hat. Is there something you can learn from that |
| suffered at the hands of an egomaniac. | | | | person? You are not "fixed" in your current state. Put |
| Alright, so now that we know you have experienced | | | | on the growth mindset. Do you need to take a class |
| some very personal attacks, let's consider how to | | | | to improve in a certain area? Do you need to |
| think about the attacks so the nightmarish thoughts | | | | practice more? |
| don't come back to haunt you up on the stage. | | | | Seeing your talent and skill as fixed is distorted and |
| I want to define two terms for you: Fixed mindset | | | | inaccurate. Take some time to look back over your |
| and Growth mindset. If you have a fixed mindset | | | | life. Identify times when your skills grew and you |
| you believe you are born with a certain amount of | | | | overcame an obstacle enabling you to move to the |
| talent and skill and no matter what you do you | | | | next level. Write these instances down in a journal |
| cannot change. If you have a growth mindset you | | | | and read them over once a week. Create balance in |
| believe you can impact your level of talent. Think of | | | | your thinking! |
| your talent as being on a continuum moving along | | | | |