The Simple Technique That Helped Me Overcome My Self-Doubt (When Nothing Else Could)

''The first paper I didn't hand in was a three-page report on the movie Cool Hand Luke—in seventh grade.

Three pages! Getting that assignment was like finding out that the gym-class physical fitness test would include running 10 miles while being chased by a grizzly bear. In the seventh grade, writing three pages felt like penning James Joyce's Ulysses.

I remember trying to disappear into my chair when the teacher handed back everyone's papers, hoping no one would notice that there was no paper for me.

Years later, in college, I sat down to write a 10-page paper about musical expression in performance and neurology. I finished in six hours—without having previously read any of my source material—received an A, and was asked to present the paper in a student research competition.

What changed?

Just one thing: my mentality...''

by Benyamin Elias