Dear Strivers!
I was in the middle of a big presentation last week when my Google Slides suddenly stopped working.
The screen went blank, and so did my mind.
My first thought? “Why didn’t I download an offline copy? I’m not gonna know what to say now. Stupid venue with its stupid internet.”
Luckily, I’ve become a bit of an expert in dealing with tech issues.
But instead of technical expertise, I've developed mindset expertise.
I use reframing.
Here’s how it works:
1. Catch the Thought: Notice the negative thought as it arises. Mine was, “Why didn’t I download an offline copy? I’m not gonna know what to say now. Stupid venue with its stupid internet.”
2. Challenge the Thought: Ask yourself if this thought is productive or just adding to your stress. Is blaming the venue or myself going to help me in this moment?
3. Reframe the Thought: Replace the unhelpful or negative thought with a more constructive one. I told myself, “Tech issues happen, but I know this material inside out. Plus, everyone will be extremely impressed with how you deal with stress so elegantly.” 🤣
I could have spent a few minutes trying to get my slides back online, causing myself more stress and boring the audience, but instead, I took a breath, trusted the process... and went with the flow.
By reframing my thoughts, I shifted from panic to poise. The rest of the presentation wasn’t perfect, but I delivered my key points and kept the audience engaged.
Try this technique if you find yourself in a similar situation where things go wrong and your thinking gets negative:
- Catch the thought.
- Challenge the thought.
- Reframe the thought.
It can help you stay calm, focused, and in control.
How do you handle tech glitches or other unexpected setbacks?
I’d love to hear your tips.
See you next week!
Chibs Okereke
