If, for some reason, you clicked the link to this blog post expecting some kind of homage to ‘Under Pressure’ – the iconic 1981 number one single by Queen and David Bowie – I’m afraid you may be disappointed. Alternatively, if you clicked this blog post seeking an insightful discussion of cracking under pressure as well as the Fergalicious opportunity to win a £150 Goldsmiths voucher, stick around.

 

When a Formula 1 driver clambers into his vehicle moments before a high-speed race, the pressure steps up a gear. There is pressure from his fans, from his team and, most importantly, intrinsic pressure from himself. Every time he accelerates, the Formula 1 driver risks his life. The mission at hand is to find his way around the circuit in the fastest time possible, however what separates those who succeed and those who fail is how they handle the pressure which environs them. If you crack under pressure, you’ll never find your hands grasping the silver arms of the sought after trophy.

 

But you don’t have to be Lewis Hamilton to face pressure. In fact, pressure can derive from just about anywhere, including your teachers, friends, family and managers. This constraining influence to do something can easily become very overwhelming or even intimidating if you don’t know how to handle it.

 

However pressure is not entirely a negative. In fact diamonds are created from carbon in high pressure situations; without this pressure, diamonds would never shine. While it’s true that pressure can burst a weak pipe, pressure can also lead to something beautiful. Pressure is an essential ingredient to success, but it can also be a hindrance if you lack perseverance.

 

Champions don’t crack under pressure; they do not succumb to the constraining laws of convention. Those who succeed do so because they defy encumbrance. Pressure is inevitable, failure is not.