That Tuesday My Brain Just... Left
Look, I'm gonna tell you about the time I forgot how to speak English in front of 47 people who control my salary. Fun times.
Middle of Q3 review. Standing there with my stupid little clicker. The word "revenue" - which I literally say 47 times a day minimum - gone. Just gone. Like my brain took an Uber to the airport without telling me.
Sarah from marketing is doing that thing where she mouths words at me. Made it worse. The CEO did his pen tap thing (always three taps, never two, never four) and I made this weird clicking sound with my tongue and sat down.
That was it. That was my Q3 presentation.
Your Brain Is a Liar (But Like, a Convincing One)
Couldn't sleep that night obviously. Found myself reading about confidence and handling pressure at 2 AM because that's when we make our best life choices.
There's this thing about mindset shifts that sounds like wellness blogger BS but hear me out - what if "I always mess up presentations" isn't actually true? What if it's just this really believable story I keep telling myself? Like when my nephew insists he's Batman. Except less fun and more career-limiting.
Actually, wait—
This is what Mind Hack Lab teaches. Your thoughts aren't facts. Which, yeah okay Captain Obvious, but try remembering that when your amygdala thinks the boardroom is full of actual bears who want to eat you.
Three Things That Helped (Sort Of)
Downloaded the app at 11 PM. The AI coach asked what specifically makes me panic.
Turns out? Not all presentations. Just ones where people take notes. Something about watching people document my failures in real-time. Cool. Super normal.
Here's what it taught me:
The "Yet" Thing
You just add "yet" to your disaster thoughts. "I can't do presentations" becomes "I can't do presentations yet." Felt stupid at first but after a week my brain started doing it automatically. Caught myself thinking "I don't know how to manage panic yet" instead of "I'm broken forever."
Is that progress? I honestly don't know.
Netflix Your Thoughts
This one's weird. When panic starts, you imagine stepping outside yourself and watching your thoughts like they're a really boring show. Tried it Thursday when I felt the spiral starting. "Oh look, there's the thought about forgetting everything. Interesting."
Didn't stop the panic but created enough space to keep talking. Said "financial outcomes" instead of "revenue." Whatever, close enough.
Evidence Check
My brain: "Everyone knows you're incompetent"
Reality: Do they though?
Evidence for: forgot "revenue" that one time
Evidence against: literally have a job??? Get paid??? Haven't been fired??? Actually got promoted twice???
So basically my entire self-concept is based on one Tuesday. Cool cool cool.
The Stuff They Should Actually Teach Us
Look, we spend 12 years learning the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell but nobody mentions that your thoughts might be actively lying to you?
These are basic life skills. Like knowing the difference between "I feel anxious" and "I AM anxiety incarnate, destroyer of presentations."
Mind Hack Lab gets this. No journaling about your inner child for six months. Just stuff that works right now, in the middle of your meltdown, while Sarah from marketing is still mouthing "REVENUE" at you.
What Changed (Spoiler: Not Everything)
Three months later. Still panic? Yep. Still forget words? Called our CFO "money boss" last week. Still hate presentations? With the fire of a thousand suns.
But.
I catch it faster now. When my brain says "You always—" I hear it. Sometimes I even remember the yet thing. The watching-your-thoughts thing works maybe 60% of the time, which beats 0%.
Last Tuesday (anniversary of The Incident), presented Q3 results. Remembered revenue. Forgot "implementation" instead. Progress tastes weird.
It's Not Magic (Unfortunately)
I'm not transformed. Didn't become a TED talk person. Still practice presentations in my car at stoplights. But there's this tiny space now between the panic and the complete shutdown.
Just enough room to remember that "I'm Bad At Presentations" is a story, not my permanent identity. That maybe there are other stories.
Actually had someone ask a follow-up question last week and I... answered it? With words? In the right order? Revolutionary.
Why This Actually Works
They call them "brief interventions" which sounds medical but basically means you learn the thing and leave. No homework you'll ignore. No 12-week commitment you'll abandon after week two.
Perfect for my brain that starts approximately 47 things and finishes maybe 3.
One session. Learn the techniques. Practice when you remember. Which for me is usually mid-panic, but that's apparently fine.
Your Disaster Story Isn't the Only Story
If you're reading this at 3 AM, practicing your presentation for the 19th time—
Your brain is telling you stories. Super convincing ones. But "I always mess up" is just a thought wearing a facts costume.
Mind Hack Lab won't turn you into someone who loves public speaking. (Thank god, those people are suspicious.) But it might help you see that your current story—the one where you're uniquely terrible—is just one version.
And stories can be edited.
Even if you can only add "yet."
Even if progress means forgetting "implementation" instead of "revenue."
Even if you still practice in your car and the guy in the Honda thinks you've lost it.
That's still different than before.
Ready to Edit Your Story?
Your brain's been telling the same disaster story on repeat. Maybe it's time for a new narrative.
P.S. - Yeah I still practice in my car. But now I practice the observer thing too. Definitely look crazy. But like, crazy with techniques? That's something.
