My days are filled with coaching high-performing individuals and teams. Not only are my clients driven, but they also have demanding jobs. I often witness various levels of anxiety, mainly due to stress.
I can relate. When I was in the corporate world, my anxiety was off the charts. I had a big job, a big team, a big revenue number, and traveled non-stop. I was under pressure to perform, no question. But I put undue added pressure on myself. An unrealistic amount as many overachievers do.
Across the board, anxiety is at an all-time high. Over 300 Million people worldwide struggle with it. We’ve all been touched by anxiety, whether experiencing it firsthand or with someone we know. Some people tout that anxiety is a good thing. That it motivates us, makes us perform better, be better. I think that’s BS.
To achieve what we want to achieve, we don’t need to be stressed out, strive, struggle, over-perform and unhappy. To achieve what we want to achieve, we need excitement, not anxiety.
The word “anxious” is overused in conversation which only adds to spreading more anxiety! How often do you hear someone say:
- I’m anxious to hear about your trip
- How did your interview go? I’m anxious to hear about it
- I’m anxious to learn what happened in the meeting
- I’m anxious to hear about your date
Anxiety is a feeling of worry or nervousness. Excitement, on the other hand, is a feeling of great enthusiasm and interest.
Your words are impactful. Choose them wisely.