to take a risk and work on relaxing before her next test. She did, and
her test results were still as good as ever—which broke her cycle of
superstitious thinking.Facing your weak spots gives you some distinct advantages. It helps a lot to
find out where you need to spend extra effort. Increased exposure to tough
material makes it more familiar and less intimidating. (After all, we mostly
fear what we don’t know and are probably afraid to face.) You’ll feel better
about yourself because you’re dealing directly with areas of the test that bring
on your anxiety. You can’t help feeling more confident when you know you’re
actively strengthening your chances of earning a higher overall test score.
GET IT TOGETHER
Don’t work in a messy or cramped area. Before you sit down to study,
clear yourself a nice, open space. And make sure you have books,
paper, pencils—whatever tools you will need—within easy reach
before you sit down to study.Now, go back to the “good” list and expand it for two minutes. Take the
general items on that first list and make them more specific; take the specific
items and expand them into more general conclusions. Naturally, if anything
new comes to mind, jot it down. Focus all of your attention and effort on your
strengths. Don’t underestimate yourself or your abilities. Give yourself full
credit. At the same time, don’t list strengths you don’t really have; you’ll only
be fooling yourself.