If you’re doing something different and fear creeps in, such as flying on a trapeze, you need to find a way to reassure your fear that you’re fine, that everything is fine. Everything is perfect. Smiling is a choice, and by making this conscious choice, you are determining the tone of your own experience. But isn’t that what we do while we’re on our own? We argue about it endlessly, rationalise all the reasons why it isn’t sound advice, and then fail to act.

There are many comparisons between the stunts performed by those performers and the way successful people act in real life.

1. Seizing the opportunities life has to offer

There is only one chance for the flyer to leave the bar. And take the risk of being caught by the catcher. Similarly, we are continually faced with opportunities to venture outside of our comfort zones and follow our objectives. However, out of fear or lack of trust, you often refuse to let go of your ‘bars.’ People who have achieved success first brace themselves for these moments, then lunge at them with full vigour and intent when they arrive.

2. A successful act takes a lot of hard work 

The trapeze artists work for weeks, if not months, to strengthen their muscles and gain proficiency in swinging, letting go of the bar in mid-air, performing acrobatics, and transferring to the other bar. They repeatedly practise their actions, both physically and psychologically, until they are confident in their abilities. In real life, you must develop the habit of working hard to achieve success in your endeavours.

3. Do not be afraid: Calculate your risks

Trapeze artists are well aware of the heights to which they must perform. They must feel at ease in order to perform at these speeds. This is also a valuable life lesson. Any business/industry has its own challenges and risks. It’s vital to know if you’ve accepted these risks before putting your time and resources into them.

4. Have trust in your team

Trust is a two-way street. Trapeze artists spend the better part of their act in the air, hoping that their partner will be there with arms outstretched at just the right moment to pick them off and proceed with the act. In the same way, you must be able to win the trust of your coworkers, supervisors, and close people, as well as their trust in you.

5. Achieve finesse and be best in your act

If there’s one thing that makes trapeze flying so fascinating to watch, it’s the fact that all of the performers are so professional. They make the act look so easy that the audience is enthralled. Similarly, it’s critical to achieve such finesse in everything you do that the final act becomes a wow factor. Look around you at the big products and services that have become brands that are how you establish.

6. Believe in yourself! 

You are the most important factor in any accomplishment. The act could only gain momentum after the trapeze flyer is persuaded that he or she could actually fly amidst a system of bars and other flyers at such heights. It is just not going to work in life unless you believe in what you are doing. You sometimes make poor decisions because you are persuaded by others rather than yourself.

7. Get out of the comfort zone

There is no such thing as a comfort zone. It’s simply a manifestation of your fear of failure, your lack of self-awareness, and procrastination. Take a look at the trapeze artists. There’s no turning back once you’re on the trapeze rope. Every single moment must be meticulously planned and executed without fail. Theoretically, there is an option, but in reality, there is little to no. What you can do now, you won’t be able to do in the future because the dynamics will be totally different! So get out there and work!

8. Be in control

The trapeze flyer has only himself/herself to rely on between the moments of leaving the bar and hitting the catcher, and vice versa. To perform the same act as during the rehearsal, they must maintain extreme mental and physical control over your mind and body to ensure that the act’s accuracy is not compromised. During the execution stage of our work, you must also have complete control over all essential aspects.

9. Do your best and leave the rest 

When all of the performances and rehearsals are done, the trapeze flyer goes back to practice on the swing. Similarly, after you’ve done your best, simply go about your important meetings, deadlines, presentations, and other important decisions, leaving the outcome in the hands of the other powers that be – there’s no point in thinking about what could have been.

10. You have to perform more than one act

After the show is over, trapeze artists go back to their lives. Away from their act and audience. There are other matters that must be addressed. Similarly, success at work is a part of your lives, but there are other facets of your lives that are just as critical and demand the same degree of commitment, even if you don’t play a central role in them. Life is much more, full of events to which you must be fully receptive in order to play your part, no matter how small, in leading a complete life.

From a coach’s perspective there is a lot to learn from a Trapeze. Here are some Coach Gaurav Arora (MCC) has to add.