Underplaying

I can't count how many times I have watched a competition where a total stranger stole the show while we all were rooting for a celebrity.

Intentional underplaying before a competition is an effective strategy. It makes us focus on the process instead of the outcome and reduces anxiety about the consequences. Another advantage of underplaying is that no one, including our competitors, pays attention to us.

Sometimes our ego over-glorifies our past achievements to ourselves, which stops us from using this strategy. We often refuse to acknowledge that the past is not always the best predictor of the future.?