Performance Based Mentality

What is a Performance Based Mentality? I will define it simply as "Identity = Performance". It is placing unhealthy pressure on yourself to compete at such a high level that you become fearful of what others think of you and of making mistakes. In short your identity becomes based on how you perform.

In my opinion, I believe that everyone struggles with having a performance based mentality but it is more severe for some than others. There are several thought provoking questions you can ask yourself.

• Do you feel like you are the only one that is capable of making good plays? How do you feel if someone else makes a great play?
• Are you motivated by anger or jealousy?
• How do you talk about the game afterwards? Do you immediately lead the conversation to be only about your play?
• Are you confident in who you are as a person regardless of how you play or how the game turns out?

There is a great scene in the movie Jerry Maguire that provides a fantastic example of a guy who oozes with performance based characteristics. Jerry is on the journey to attempt to maintain his job after publishing his memo on who sports agents should be and realizes that he may have just sunk his career. Rod Tidwell is a player who is currently signed with Jerry and is contemplating switching agents because he is not getting the money he feels he deserves based on who he is and his abilities. Rod and Jerry are on the phone and Rod immediately begins describing himself based on all of his accolades and accomplishments as an athlete. The conversation ends with Rod proclaiming to Jerry that he desires "Arizona Dollars" and deserves nothing less.

The interesting thing about this scene is that we hear nothing about the man Rod Tidwell but all about the accomplishments of Rod Tidwell the football player. This is a clear cut portrait of a guy who places the value of who he is as a person based on his accomplishments as an athlete.

For most people, the tendency to illuminate performance based characteristics come after a highly successful game or after a poor competition. When an athlete performs at their highest and are recognized by others for their performance, it is easy to see how he quickly wants to talk about the great plays he had and describe how it came to be.

The opposite is true when players play poorly because they do not want to associate themselves with any part of the competition. It is apparent that they desire to avoid anyone who may have played with them or seen them play and if forced to talk about their performance they quickly find a way to dodge the topic or have an excuse for why it happened.

When the athlete plays well they are comfortable with who they are. When the athlete plays poorly they get down on themselves and can have the tendency to want to hide. Identity = Performance.

An athlete's level of performance can be greatly impacted by struggling with these characteristics. They can become nervous and fearful while they compete and become more focused on making mistakes or on who is watching them play rather than focusing on the details of the game at hand. They are no longer in the flow of the game.

Steve McVey, in his book Grace Walk, sums it up nicely stating that God doesn't determine our identity by behavior but by birth and a person born into the family of God receives a new identity. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” Scripture clearly exemplifies the point McVey is attempting to explain. Acts 17:28a takes it one step further stating, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." We aren't who we are because of what we have done based on our athletic performances. If we are on the journey with Christ, we are who we are because of who He is in us. Good performances or bad performances, Christ is in us and our identity is in Him.

We no longer have to feel the pressure and wear and tear of living a certain way or performing at a high level in order to find significance in our life. God’s grace frees us from this fear and pressure and allows us to relax and be the athlete He has created us to be through Him. Do not be discouraged if you struggle with performance issues. It absolutely does not mean you need to quit competing! This struggle is just another obstacle in the faith and sport journey that needs to be comprehended and actively pushed through to move closer to becoming the athlete Christ calls you to be.

Do you find yourself so caught up in feeling that you have to perform at such a high level for others to approve of you and most often for God to approve of you? Do you struggle with image management and trying to impress others around you just to feel good about yourself? Remember that God’s grace frees us from having to try to live through sports or work or any other aspect of life that we feel like we have to prove ourselves. The pressure is removed which frees us to relax and live up to the potential God created us to have using the talents He has given to their fullest ability.