Thompson, who turned 29 last week, is the new face in the New Zealand team to play twenty/20 matches in Auckland today and in Hamilton on Sunday.
The Central Districts medium pacer said the shortened format was a difficult circumstance in which to make an international debut but he had decided to stay true to what had largely worked for him in all forms of domestic cricket over the past two seasons.
"I think you just got to be aggressive with the ball, vary [your deliveries] as much as you can and I think, number one, enjoy the occasion," he said.
"You just stick to what you know, and stick to your disciplines."
Thompson brings good lead-in form - he is the leading wicket-taker after four rounds of the State Championship four-day competition with 17, at an average of 21.8.
In the only round of the State Shield one-day competition so far, he took three for 52 off nine overs against Auckland last Sunday.
"I think I can transfer domestic form into the international scene - it's still a cricket ball and a batsman standing at the other end," the hard-hitting lower order batsman said.
Thompson, who arrived in Auckland on Wednesday to join the New Zealand squad, said he had not spoken to coach Andy Moles about his role in the series.
But becoming an international cricketer was starting to feel more real now.
"I am just trying to stay relaxed and confident.
"It will be nice to walk out of the sheds and get the first ball under my belt and then start trying to compete."
After a drawn test series with the West Indies, he could sense his New Zealand team-mates were desperate for a 2-0 win in the twenty/20 matches before the five-match one-day series starting in Queenstown on New Year's Eve.
Like test opening batsman Tim McIntosh this month, Thompson had no qualms about making his international debut less than a year out from his 30th birthday.
He admitted physical recovery didn't come as easily as it once did but felt that fact shouldn't affect his performance.
"At 29 you're starting to mature as a cricketer. "If you look at other sports, like athletics, you don't see many 22 to 23-year-olds winning that. You certainly respect your body a little bit more as you age.
"I do things a lot better than I did as a youngster and I find I get through the seasons a lot easier now."
New Zealand and the West Indies have played just one twenty/20 match, also at Eden Park/ in February 2006 which resulted in a tie when both sides scored 126 runs.
Of the present squads, only four from each side played in that match - Scott Styris, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin and Jeetan Patel for New Zealand and Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin and Jerome Taylor for the West Indies.
