A Jeopardy! contestant shared that he was afraid to use to the sport present resulting from his anxiousness. Nonetheless, he finally did and made it on Season 41. He’s now giving recommendation to those that could also be too afraid to use.
“Hello Reddit, I’m Mark from the primary week of this season. This week is the one-year anniversary of my Getting the Name to be on the present, and I needed to commemorate that milestone by providing some recommendation and encouragement to those that could also be in the same boat as I used to be. Fact is, I used to be all the time afraid of being on Jeopardy! as a result of I didn’t suppose my anxiousness would let me, and from studying this subreddit, I do know there are others who really feel the identical means,” he wrote on Reddit.
“So with the caveat that everybody’s anxiousness is totally different, and I’m the alternative of a medical skilled, I’d wish to share some coping methods I found alongside the best way.
Mark Fitzpatrick, a content material supervisor from Riverside, Connecticut, had a five-day profitable streak at first of Season 41 with a complete of $107,201.
Fitzpatrick shared step-by-step how he navigated the method and what he did to calm his nerves. “I don’t suppose I ever would have taken the Anytime Check if I believed I’d truly ever get an opportunity to look on the present, too scary,” he wrote. One factor that motivated him to take it was the “lengthy odds” of really being picked. “I simply considered it as one thing to take action that I may say I attempted the subsequent time somebody stated I must be on the present. So if you happen to haven’t taken the Anytime Check since you’re apprehensive about being on stage, I say go for it anyway and simply persuade your self you received’t be.”
His audition befell over Zoom, which he stated made it appear extra informal, again in October 2020. “About 80-90% of people that audition received’t get known as, so know that not getting known as isn’t a private failing,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “It’s only a numbers sport. Realizing that lessened the expectations.”
He then shared that he obtained the decision and that’s when all of it sunk in. “Okay, that is the place it will get tough. In the event that they name you and let you know they need you on the present, it will get a bit tougher to persuade your self that you simply’ll by no means be on the present. What I personally discovered useful was the surreality of all of it; I could have had probably the most toned-down, subdued response to getting the information ever, and possibly made the producers query why they’d picked me within the first place. However I used to be excited–it simply didn’t appear actual to me, and that helped a ton,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
As for recommendation throughout that spherical, he stated, “In the event you’re apprehensive about anxiousness, I like to recommend prepping in a different way. Spend much less time finding out and extra time distracting your self. I used to be lucky sufficient to have a visit to Italy already deliberate a couple of weeks earlier than my tape day, and it was such a blessing to have one thing like that occupy my thoughts. Sadly, planning a last-minute worldwide journey is impractical, but when yow will discover someplace native to get away to, I completely suggest it. It’s invaluable to have one thing else in your thoughts. Positive, I didn’t research as a lot wagering technique as I may have (as anybody who watched me may have guessed), however I can’t remorse taking it simple.”
Throughout tape day, Fitzpatrick stated that he didn’t have a lot recommendation. “Attempt to have enjoyable, savor each second,” he stated.
“I felt like by worrying a lot about making it to tape day, by the point I truly made it into the studio I had much less to fret about. I needed to do nicely, however knew I used to be statistically almost certainly to lose my one and solely look, so once more, the low odds diminished the strain. And the vital factor to recollect is that, as cliched because it sounds, you don’t have anything to lose when you’re up on the stage: They don’t make you pay the cash again if you find yourself detrimental, regardless of what The Simpsons advised you,” he ended.