Slowly, we work through it all. We set goals. We practice visualization: planning out how I want to play so that it’s easier to execute, holding my future self in my mind’s eye before the fact. We discuss my optimal stress level: how to push myself so that I’m stressed enough to perform well, but not pressure myself so hard that I lose all confidence. I learn how to sit up and take up space and hold my head to project a confidence I might not be feeling—the techniques of self-deception that are often the first step to making you feel the confidence that was lacking. It’s a process known as
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