#275 – Choking, the Olympics, and Running Toward What You Want

In this episode, I share a personal experience where I choked.For the first time in a long time, I failed to perform at the level I knew I was capable of, in a very public setting. It wasn’t a lack of preparation. It wasn’t a lack of ability. It was mental.I unpack what happened when I played piano at my grandmother’s funeral, how nerves took over, and what that experience taught me about pressure, performance, and mindset.From there, I zoom out. Watching the Olympics around the same time made the contrast even clearer. Some athletes tightened up under pressure. Others, like Alysa Liu in women’s figure skating, performed with visible freedom and joy on the biggest stage.The difference wasn’t talent. It was mental.This episode explores the tension between running away from what you don’t want versus running toward what you do want, and why that distinction matters not just in sports or music, but in leadership and life.Topics CoveredA personal story of choking under pressurePlaying piano at my grandmother’s funeralWhy capability doesn’t guarantee performanceThe physical effects of nerves and overthinkingThe contrast between surviving and expressingLessons from Olympic performance under pressureAlysa Liu and skating with freedom instead of fearThe limits of conscious control in complex tasksRunning away from fear vs running toward joyHow this applies to leadership, teams, and cultureWhy leading toward something positive is more powerful than pushing away from something negativeClosing ThoughtIt’s easy to say “run toward what you want.” It’s much harder to remember in the moment.But if we want to perform at our best and lead others well, that shift in direction may be the difference between tightening up and stepping fully into what we’re capable of.Music: Slow Burn, Kevin Macleod