Inspiration vs. Desperation

At the end of the day, what is important? This is a question that, in some form or another, I find myself asking athletes lately as they describe high levels of anxiety, pressure, distraction, and, for some, a loss of enjoyment. Being clear of purpose goes a long way in helping to establish a psychological framework that allows an athlete to go out and perform when it “matters”. Developing a strong sense of clarity of what individuals are trying to achieve can help them maintain focus on that very thing.

Essentially, it comes down to what we value and focus on. Inspiration – creating something special, exploring what’s possible, enjoying the moments of competing. Desperation – proving oneself to others, validating self-worth, ego-involvement, gaining extrinsic rewards.

Generally, feeling inspired to pursue something will involve a range of psychological outcomes that are helpful with regard to motivation and performance – for instance, excitement, maintaining a task-focus, and a sense of joy. Alternatively, feeling desperate can promote high levels of anxiety, stress, and distraction from the task. Now, with that said, having a degree of desperation can be a good thing in some ways – for instance, providing the necessary motivation to head to the pool at 5am for a training session. However, in other situations, say shooting free throws to win the State Championship, desperation can elicit both physiological and psychological changes that will not be helpful to performance.

Of course, many individuals, particularly at the elite level, experience high levels of both inspiration and desperation and this can be a good thing, and in all likelihood, is a necessity in such a competitive context. Maintaining a healthy ratio between the two is a key factor in determining the nature of our performances and our overall sporting experience.

A potential barometer for self-reflection here is reflecting on what you (or those that you work with) feel when you achieve something. When you are inspired, then you are likely to experience a sense of happiness and content when successful. If, however, an overwhelming sense of desperation is providing the fuel, then relief is a more likely response to success.

The question then becomes, how do we work with athletes to establish environments that nurture inspiration and joy, with healthy levels of desperation? This will be addressed further in the next post!