IDENTITY
You are more than sport
Where do you place your confidence as you compete?
Athlete, where do you find your identity?
Are you ready to live and compete with a new perspective and a new identity?
We all live out our life in front of an audience (family, neighbors, roommates, fans, social media followers). People watch and evaluate us everyday. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to please these audiences.
How are you motivated to excel in your sport? Where do you find your identity?
How would your perspective change if you were able to compete out of a sense of freedom?
Let us help you identify the types of motives that can serve as the driving force in moving your from fear to freedom in your sport.
Why do you work so hard at your sport? Watch for a perspective on motivations:
TRAINING PLAN: PRACTICAL TIPS ON IDENTITY & SPORT
How might an idol affect your identity and motivation in athletics?
Review this equation:
Extreme Pressure + Powerful Influence + Passion to Win at All Costs + Intoxicating Emotions = Sport as Idol
Reflect:
Which item(s) in the above equation influences your time, attention, or allegiance?
Consider:
If you are trusting your sport to quench your thirst for meaning and purpose? Your sport will ask for everything in return.
How do the opinions of others influence your internal monologue?
Rank The Following:
Whose opinion do you care most about? Rank each on a scale of 1 (most) to 10 (least):
- Mom
- Dad
- Brother/Sister
- Grandparents
- Teammates
- Current Coach
- Former Coach
- Boyfriend/Girlfriend
- Fans
- Social Media Followers
- Others
Reflect:
Motivation is our reason for acting or behaving in a particular way. What you believe on the inside is what will motivate your actions and efforts in life and in sports. True freedom comes when we starve the lesser desires of their power over us, and instead focus upon one overriding motivation.
Consider:
Do you think being free from the opinions of others would help you be a better athlete? What is one step you can take today towards experiencing that kind of freedom?
How does your identity impact your motivations on and off the field?
Consider:
Identity is how we view ourselves. Having a right view of ourselves leads us towards a proper motivation.
Review This Question:
How would you define your identity?
Reflect:
How much of your identity do you base on the results of your athletic performances? Think of an example.
Describe:
How might the following equation be helpful in considering your identity?
Freedom = I am accepted > I need to prove it
Are you willing to think differently about motivation and identity?
A Definition:
Audience of One = Living out of a mindset that when you choose to listen to God’s voice above all others and live in the identity that He gives you, then you will experience the true freedom that He created you for.
Reflect:
Do you believe that you are loved and accepted – apart from your athletic performance – by the Creator of the universe?
If so, you can learn to let God’s opinion about you override all other opinions around you, and learn to be motivated to give maximum effort no matter what your circumstances are (winning or losing, playing or sitting, large audience or an Audience of One, etc)
Apply This Principle:
- Sign up to receive bi-weekly articles about identity, motivation, overcoming adversity, and other topics.
- Attend an Ultimate Training Camp to learn how to apply Audience of One in your sport.
- Watch this video for additional perspectives.
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Why do you work so hard at your sport?
Watch for a perspective on motivation:
READ THE LATEST: IDENTITY
Because your worth doesn’t depend on your success, your performance, or your fame.
Athlete, Learn how to apply this principle to your sport.
Learn more principles for handling victory, loss, perspective, getting better, injuries, teamwork, and everything in between at the Ultimate Training Camp