Many people, but particularly we athletes strive for perfection. We want to be perfect, our coaches want us to be perfect, our families and supporters want us to be perfect, but why?
Because first it is supposed to take us to the highest level of success. But what if we are not perfect, like none of us are. Then striving for perfection can be self-defeating and counterproductive. With a perfectionistic attitude the athlete sets very high, sometimes unrealistic standards for themselves. Once they fail to meet that standard as they must it sets them up for feelings of devastation and sometimes even worthlessness. Partly because perfection has become their self-identity.
To make a distinction and commence a positive change in one’s self-identity, it is beneficial for athletes and coaches to replace the word perfection with excellence. Excellence and perfection do not have the same meaning, but excellence leaves out the unhealthy fragments perfection often time carries. By emphasizing excellence, one can convey desire to perform well most of the time, and allow room for natural development of things. By expecting excellence, one does not have to fight with absurdly high standards and unrealistic expectations that a perfectionist would set up for themselves.
TIPS: Let go of everything that you cannot control in your competitive life. To make that clearer, create a list of things that you can and cannot control, and everything that you cannot control-let it go! Work on becoming comfortable with the aspects that you have no control over. Let go of conscious control and allow your body to do what you trained it to be able to do automatically.
Keep in mind that when you try to control things you have no control over- they in turn start to control you!
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