[Re-Post from 2023]
We are drawn to measurements and data as they provide quantifiable numbers for evaluating ourselves and others. While this can be helpful for assessing performance and progress, it can sometimes dehumanize us, reducing our identities to mere machines. Measurements fail to capture human factors such as emotions, thoughts, and circumstances. While they reveal our current standing in terms of numbers, they overlook the “how” and “why” behind our achievements. This neglect of the process undermines our understanding of these measurements and their true significance. So, why are we so fixated on measurements and results? Why do we tend to disregard the “how” and “why”?
Results as a Measure of Worth
We often believe that the numbers we produce validate our worth to others, whether it’s our team, coaches, friends, family, or even ourselves. Performance tends to prioritize outcomes over the process. People don’t care about how we created an opportunity to score; they simply want to see the ball go in. Unless we achieve results, such as earning points for our team or satisfying our coach, the way we created those opportunities becomes inconsequential. We’re left believing that only the end result matters. This is how we demonstrate our value for playing time, receiving passes from teammates, attaining higher-level opportunities, scholarships, or financial rewards, and seeking recognition and validation from others. We gauge our worth and progress based on results—improvement is easily discernible by looking at the numbers.
However, reducing our performance and progress to results and numbers poses several issues. While focusing on outcomes is necessary, neglecting the process is detrimental. Approaching the game and our performance with the sole mindset of proving ourselves through results can foster negativity and resentment, both towards the game and ourselves. By fixating on results, we lose sight of the human aspect of growth and the underlying purpose of our endeavors. Our hearts and circumstances take a back seat as we exhaust ourselves in pursuit of self-aggrandizement.
Placing Performance in Context
Measuring ourselves solely by results is an unsustainable approach. Human growth is not a linear journey; progress doesn’t always move in a consistently upward direction. There are training sessions, days, weeks, and games where we may feel like we’re regressing. We can only control so much, and if we constantly judge ourselves based on results and numbers, we will inevitably become disheartened. Results alone do not tell the whole story. Our performance must be understood within the context of our lives.
Context matters when evaluating our performance. There may be training days when we fall short, failing to lift as much weight as usual or achieve our desired repetition range. Likewise, we may have a bad game, feeling unable to find our rhythm or sensing a lag behind others. If we judge ourselves solely by results and measurements, we might conclude that we’re simply not good enough or doing something wrong. In reality, these experiences are part of the process and a natural aspect of human growth. Factors such as poor sleep, upset stomachs from food, relationship conflicts, or family illness can impact us on a daily basis, affecting our biological, psychological, and social well-being, which in turn affects our performance.
Some days we may achieve record-breaking performances, while other days we may fall well below our average. Focusing on isolated data points or single performances can easily lead to discouragement. Instead, we should focus on the trendline, which reveals our overall progress. By allowing ourselves time to adapt and grow, we gain a clearer understanding of the general direction we are heading. This broader perspective helps us place everything in context, offering a more comprehensive narrative.
The Trendline
The trendline represents the overarching direction of development or change. It connects the different data points and reveals the pattern of our progress over time. Instead of fixating on individual measurements or performances, the trendline allows us to see the entire course of our journey, much like a storyline. It enables us to adopt a broader perspective and comprehend the reasons behind dips or spikes in our trendline. By placing our progress in context, the trendline demonstrates that off-days are an integral part of the process and encourages us to keep striving towards our goals.
Final Thoughts
When we become fixated on judging ourselves based on isolated moments or individual performances, we easily become frustrated and discouraged. Zooming out and taking a broader view allows us to break free from the trap of constantly seeking validation. We realize that our progress and value are not solely based on numbers or results but on the entire process. This inclusive view acknowledges that both the setbacks and triumphs contribute to our growth. We see ourselves and our journey in context, enabling us to fully engage our hearts and minds. We play and perform not only to prove ourselves but also to connect with something greater than ourselves.
