If you want to perform at your best and make the most of opportunities, become a master of the “set up.” This week’s video will help you approach key moments with greater confidence and less stress.

Are you setting yourself up for success or failure? Well, let’s find out and fix it in the next two minutes.

I’m in Orlando again, speaking late this afternoon. Now, I could have flown in early this morning and still had plenty of time, but instead I arrived yesterday. I’m prepared, well rested, and in the flow of a successful program.

Like a tennis serve, a great joke, or a golf swing, success starts with the setup – putting yourself in position to do well. Now this sounds simple, but when you’re frantic or overwhelmed, you may find yourself scrambling to survive.

You could be setting yourself up for failure by being around the wrong people in the wrong situations, forced to fight battles and resist temptations. Staging good set ups is a skill that involves understanding what’s most important, seeing it coming, and choosing your approach. Here are five ways to set yourself up to do well.

1. Pick your moments. Not all tasks or tests are created equal. 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. However, certain key moments can change everything. Identify and handle those differently.

2. Stack the deck. Choose excellent teachers and role models. Use proven processes and great tools.

3. Do the work. Prepare so that you arrive with earned confidence. There’s nothing worse than meeting your moment realizing you’re not ready, and could have been.

4. Manage the noise. Anticipate distractions and demands for your attention. Handle what’s critical, skip what isn’t, and don’t be quite so accessible.

5. Slow the pace. As you approach a critical moment, natural excitement increases speed and anxiety. To compensate, intentionally slow your perceptions and move through the moments deliberately.

These five principles will change the game for you. First, you must see yourself as worthy of winning, which you are! You deserve to face opportunities focused, prepared, and calm, so that you can access your greatness when it matters the most. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.