Under the Gun and Feeling Good?

I know this is going to sound strange, but there's something extremely satisfying about high pressure situations. I'm not talking about life threatening scary stuff. I'll leave that to the emergency first responders. I'm referring more to high pressure projects and time sensitive tasks. You think I'm nuts right? Maybe so, but hear me out.

People intentionally engage in challenging tasks all the time. Olympic athletes train all their lives for what comes down to a few minutes of high pressure. Lawyers prepare for weeks for a few life-changing hours (not their own, but still). The examples are endless. Why do we choose to put ourselves through it? There are probably as many answers as there are people.

But experiencing it- racing against the clock, trying to make things happen- it can be quite satisfying. I even find the chaos and stress a bit enjoyable on some level, knowing how terrific I'm going to feel when I come through the other side. I guess that's the key to all of this. You have to feel confident you will accomplish what you're working on in order to feel this way. And for me, well I believe I can do just about anything if I really want to!

It's kind of like working on a puzzle (which I love by the way), or finding your way through a maze. You know it's going to rock your world when you solve it or make it to the end. And if life is really about enjoying the journey, there's something about feeling the challenge along the way to something complicated. It's like a really big build up of tension just to release it.

I've got to admit it. There's something satisfying about feeling under the gun.

Image retrieved from https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/10/23/why-can-people-succeed-under-pressure/