don't think
One of the most common cues coaches give their athletes in the gym is: “Don’t think.” When you’re under a heavy barbell, thoughts don’t help you lift the weight. Instead, thinking and analyzing breaks your focus.
In a similar vein, my roommates James and Saurav were talking about blogging every day. James shared a tip that stuck with me: “Don’t think. Just write.”
I've been applying that, and I totally agree. Writing flows out of you much more easily when you don't let your inner critic speak.
The “don’t think” cue shows up everywhere. After years of meditation, I notice how unnecessary most thoughts are. In high stakes meetings, I used to get hit with thoughts like “I'm not competent.” Those thoughts didn’t help me do a better job. They just got in the way. So when an exec asked a tough or complex question, I tried to remind myself: don’t think, just listen. (Or don't think, just focus).
I once read that confidence is simply not letting unhelpful thoughts interfere with your performance. Some of this comes with age: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed I think a lot less.
Anyway, that's the life hack. Don't think.
You might also like these posts of mine for more cues (and examples of applications):
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