There are many people who believe that there are secrets, shortcuts or keys to obtaining maximum performance, which brings us closer to achieving our most desired successes. For all those people, this article is a reflection on the secrets that the word performance itself contains in its etymological origins.
Performance means to give back, it comes from the word of Latin origin “reddere” (to render). Among the meanings of the word “render” you can find the following:
1. Defeat the enemy and force him to surrender
Probably, it is because of this meaning that we consider that performance in itself implies success based on the achievement of the result.
2. Submit to one’s domain
Which would be in line with the first, as far as the achievement of the objectives is concerned.
3. Give or return what belongs to one
In sporting terms, it would be more accurate and would be in line with the effort expended
As a product of associating the suffix “-ment” to the word “rendir”, a new word is produced, “rendimiento”, result of giving up or returning the effort, if we adjust to the third of its meanings, which is what knowledge of the sports field invites us to do. Well, high performance does not always imply a high result, paradoxically contrary to what many might believe. And if that were the case, don’t you think that the contexts of sporting excellence would be called high-result centers instead of high-performance centers (CAR)?
It is essential to emphasize this type of nuances in sports learning and in life in general. The highest goals demand everything from one, and even offering everything we have inside, sometimes it is insufficient, because we can meet other competitors who show greater talent than the one we manifest.
The relationship between result and performance
The result never comes before the performance. It is important to internalize this to develop a personal culture of work based on effort. That is the real secret of success. That and considering one’s own success as the enjoyment experienced by the mere fact of doing what one wants most, what one loves.
That is, learn to focus on the process (the performance), rather than the product (the result). Sometimes we set objectives based on high results goals which push us to experience high doses of frustration, even more so when the athlete is not mature enough in terms of his personal self-confidence to set these challenges.
It is there, where we find ourselves young athletes obsessed by the inevitable commission of mistakes No one ever learned to walk without stumbling at least several times. This is also where unrealistic expectations of performance and results appear, the “I have to achieve this”, “I can’t fail that” or “how is it possible that I won’t achieve it”. All of them based on the moral imperative of achieving an ideal result, based on a perfect path, without errors, which inevitably pushes us towards frustration and possibly towards abandoning sports practice.
If as an athlete or as a person, I am a product of my results, my self-confidence will suffer the blows of the mistakes made, as if it were a personal failure. In the end, any sport is a task that we have to face repetitively in order to improve, surpass ourselves and advance. And the task is not us. We are the ones who produce the results and not the other way around. Everyone cares about results, but These never come without effort, without mistakes and without learning If, for every failure, I abuse the machine for producing results, it will be difficult for me to produce them.
It is important to be aware of this, to be able to master any skill or sporting task that we decide to bet on, without obsessing over whether or not I will be the best tomorrow or if I will achieve the highest goals. Who would want to excel in something that causes suffering? or don’t you like it? Enjoy the effort expended in an activity that I am passionate about without setting higher expectations than that, for me, that is true success.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
