EDITOR’S NOTE:
The following was originally shared via the Prepared Blog for our sister project Prepared Athlete Training & Health, which was created in June 2019 to support aspiring athletes in Vancouver, Canada, and beyond. I hope you enjoy the read…
Working with high performers in different parts of world I have encountered many driven and highly focussed individuals, both within the realm of sport and beyond. From time to time it is serves us well to take a step back, and reflect on the wider purpose. This allows us to zoom out from our myopic focus on whatever goal we set ourselves, and to consider what it was that originally drew us to do what we are doing.
GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ‘WHY’…
Returning to our original motivation is helpful for a variety of reasons. This exercise allows us to delve into the bigger ‘why’. In particular, it provides the opportunity to remind ourselves of the overarching purpose behind what we are doing, beyond simply chasing the goals we have set ourselves.
In a previous post, I made the case that the pursuit itself has value. I was recently prompted to ask somebody I coach (a recreational runner) what their motivation was for running. More specifically, I asked whether the primary motivation for running was to achieve the 10k race time he had set himself, or whether there was any deeper meaning, such as the extent to which running itself provided value, satisfaction, and benefits to his life in general.
HOW GOALS RELATE TO PURPOSE…
In theory, goals are an extension of purpose. The original ‘why’ that prompted us to engage in the sport or athletic pursuit, and the primary sense of purpose this provided, would naturally be our starting point. It follows that our involvement, and our desire to improve and develop, subsequently leads us to set short term goals and aspire towards a long term objective.
Equally it is important to emphasise the separation. The goals were not the reason or original purpose for participating, but rather an offshoot of our participation.
The reason this discussion is important is that when we set our sights on a particular objective, we can fall into a scenario where all other other concerns become relegated to achieving this particular outcome. Rather than being an extension of the original purpose, when we become too immersed in the goal itself we can easily lose sight of our original ‘why’. In effect the goal can displace the purpose - in effect becoming the purpose.
In this way, the pursuit itself can easily be reduced to simply becoming a means to an end.
THE MOTIVATION (AND SATISFACTION) OF PROCESS VERSUS OUTCOME…
When our sense of achievement and satisfaction becomes contingent on a particular outcome, the pursuit itself loses much of its meaning. In doing so, we forfeit the intrinsic motivation derived from the pursuit itself and replace it with extrinsic motivation that is driven by the rewards of the outcome.
We frequently hear coaches and athletes speaking in the media about ‘process’ versus ‘outcome’. An outcome focus is the natural consequence of a myopic focus on goals to the exclusion of purpose. In contrast a process focus allows us to keep the onus on the pursuit, and in doing so often we achieve the objective as a natural consequence. As the old adage goes, focus on the process, and the result takes care of itself.
Beyond being a more sensible strategy, a process-oriented approach also preserves the enjoyment and satisfaction we derive from participating in the activity for its own sake.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with goals. Goals serve an important function. Aspiring to great things is the first step to being a high performer. As an aside, we can also employ process goals to square the circle!
Equally the pursuit should be rewarding in itself, entirely separate from and independent of the outcome. Once again, the recent trend for describing training in terms of being a ‘grind’ gets it wrong in so many ways. We do ourselves a great disservice when we are no longer motivated to take part in the activity for the simple joy of doing so.
Training should not be a grind. In preserving the sense of meaning in the pursuit, we retain the intrinsic motivation to engage in the activity, and in doing so ensure that we continue to derive enjoyment and satisfaction along the way.
Staying dialled into the purpose that underpins the goals we set also means we experience value and meaning in a way that is not contingent on a particular outcome. Our intention of course remains achieving and surpassing the goals we set; but this should be in addition to the satisfaction we derive from investing ourselves in the pursuit, not in place of it.