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Personally, I think I am much calmer under incredibly stressful situations, and I've learned to deal with pressure and nerves, which is key to being a performer of any caliber.

Staying composed, focused, and effective under pressure are all about your mentality. People who successfully manage crises are able to channel their emotions into producing the behavior that they want.

We need to distinguish between stress and stimulation. Having deadlines, setting goals, and pushing yourself to perform at capacity are stimulating. Stress is when you're anxious, upset, or frustrated, which dramatically reduce your ability to perform.

Some people thrive under pressure, but pressure can also ruin your performance, it can push you down angles which you don't want to go.

You'll very rarely find that you can enhance a performance to give it a real emotional centre and truth... after the fact.

Pressure brings out the best in me. It's the only way to keep improving: putting a bit of pressure on yourself.

When stress sets in, and pressure, I focus.

Our brains are wired such that it's difficult to take action until we feel at least some level of this emotional state. In fact, performance peaks under the heightened activation that comes with moderate levels of stress. As long as the stress isn't prolonged, it's harmless.

When you're by yourself, you realize how much pressure you're under and how much work you have to do.