How Performance-Driven Is Underperforming

 

The Mental  Spiritual Battle of Fitness

By Dr. Rob Bell, Sport Psychology Coach, DRB and Associates

I work with athletes on the mental game. I’ve been blessed to work with a variety of athletes, from winners on the PGA Tour, and Olympic medalists, to state champions.

Regardless of the level, the mindset of athletes is the same. They have a goal, want to achieve it, and work tirelessly to reach it.

Having coached athletes for many years, I know it is true that you’re an athlete, but it’s just that your office is different. If you’re in the game of life and fitness, then you’re an athlete!

PREPARE – TRAIN – PERFORM

All athletes prepare. We will spend more time preparing and training than actually performing. As athletes we strive to be in physical, emotional, and spiritual shape for our profession and life.

And as athletes, we compete. Now, we are not competing against an opponent or even a standard. We are competing against ourselves, which is the difficult part. Our mind has one job and that is to keep us safe. Is your first thought in the morning ever, “I’m not working out today!” That’s because the battle we fight is against our own mind.

MIND GAMES UNDERPERFORM

Our opponent, our mind, also knows all of our weaknesses. It has a strategic advantage over us already. Think about how difficult it is to play someone who knows every move you’re going to do.

And unfortunately, as athletes, we are judged. We judge ourselves and are harder on ourselves than we are with anyone else. We also think that others judge us based on one factor, our performance.

When we perform well then we look good and feel good. Consequently we think, “I’m am good enough.” We receive the praise and the raise, the pats on the back of “Wow, you really did a good job!”

It feels really good to receive this affirmation.

We all have this to a degree; we care about what people think. Who doesn’t want to feel appreciated, liked, and funny? I really like it when someone reaches out and says that they enjoyed one of my books on mental toughness.

There is nothing inherently wrong with striving to do your best and have a good performance. Receiving the pats on the back is also nice, but it ultimately leaves us hollow because it is not our whole identity.

The more praise we receive, the more we want it. The world is littered with affirmation junkies who need this constant fix of approval. It’s why there are so many selfies taken after our workouts.

Unfortunately, often when we perform poorly, we feel bad, and can think, “I’m not good enough.” Therefore, the pats on the back and affirmations from others are also not there.

When a high profile coach or professional athlete does really well and wins, there are hundreds of text messages praising them and their performance. But, when they lose on a big stage, there are very few text messages from these same people.

Success has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan.

As an athlete, a performance driven life is a vicious cycle. It is based on the belief that I am ONLY as good as my last performance or results. So, even when we do perform well, that effect lasts only so long. Soon, anxiety and stress enter back in the fray because we have to do it again.

OVERCOME AND MOVE BEYOND THE DRIVE TO PERFORM

As fitness athletes, how do we overcome this performance driven life?

First, it comes down to our true identity, and do we believe that I am who God says that I am. Many Christians think that we still have two natures. A new nature, one that seeks the kingdom, and a sinful nature that seeks desires of the flesh.

God and Christ Jesus do not see us that way.

Romans 6:6-7 states “we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin (our sinful nature) might be removed so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died has been freed from sin.”

Yes, we will still sin and fall short, but our nature has been changed. We have been redeemed. We have been sanctified. We are holy. (1 Corinthians 1:30) No matter what, our new nature is with Christ and not based on our performance or anything we have done. It is God’s grace. All we have to do is accept it.

The reverend Fred Rogers had an awesome quote. He said that being special means “you don’t have to do anything sensational for people to love you.”

Knowing your identity and who you are in Christ Jesus is the first step. This happened the moment you accepted Christ into your life.

Understanding how to win the mental battle is the next step. This is the spiritual battle, the one seeking control over our thoughts and desires. Wait, did I write that we compete against our own mind? Yes, but you are not the one who puts the evil thoughts inside of your head.

Romans 8:1 states- “There is now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.”

This verse means that the condemnation that we sometimes feel and think to ourselves is simply NOT from above. This is the spiritual battle. Since our sinful nature is gone, the guilt, shame, and thoughts of not being good enough are from the evil one not from ourselves or from God.

If you think that you’re the one who puts the bad thoughts in your head, then as I ask all of my athletes, “do you want to think that negative thought?” It has little to do with not being mentally strong enough and more to do with where the thoughts come from. That’s the battle that we all face.

As athletes, we will fall into the performance mindset often. We will still experience anxiety, stress, and a lack of confidence. But, instead of trying to achieve more and do more, God asks a favor of us. We are not meant to do life alone. God asks to be a part of our trials, our sufferings and to ask him to be a part of our own journey.

Philippians 4: 6-7 states “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Likewise, I Peter 5:7-8 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

YOURS FOR THE ASKING

The way apart from the performance driven life as an athlete is to ask God to be a part of it. God asks to be part of our lives. As a fitness athlete, do we ask him to curb our fears about how we look, remove our anxiety about this upcoming workout, and to give us confidence and to be of service to others?

When you ask Christ into your life, you’ll witness your performance driven life transforming. You will start to feel good enough, stop comparing yourself, and operate from a place of love and acceptance instead of being driven by not feeling good enough.