Drive is often the fuel that keeps you motivated to achieve a goal. But a powerful need to succeed can be driven by a fear of failure or constantly comparing yourself to others (or a past version of yourself). The more successful you become in each step of your athletic journey, the more afraid of failure you can become. As a result, you may find yourself compromising your values - and your mental and physical health. The state of being driven can become addictive.
Being intrinsically motivated is required in any successful individual. To work hard and relentlessly pursue a goal with determination is a great quality.
Although drive can be a great thing (when you use it in the right ways), it can also lead to a single-focused mindset. When you are too driven, it can be difficult to switch "off" which can make it difficult to respect your health and well-being.
As an athlete, the competitive nature and strong discipline that can make you a great athlete may also place you at risk for obsessive exercise and disordered eating.
Athletes tend to exhibit unique traits that help them succeed in sport. For example, self-discipline, obsession, driven to succeed and motivation are admirable characteristics that keep you working hard for a goal. However, individuals with these personality features may also be predisposed to being perfectionistic and self-critical. Athletes with these features may compare appearance and current fitness status against unrealistic standards. Although many athletes are self-critical and want to live up to their own ideals, expectations and goals, it's not uncommon for athletes to be heavily concerned about what other people (athletes, coaches, friends, family) think of them.
Being too driven can increase the risk rigid eating and over-exercising. Your drive to succeed can become an obstacle that stands in the way of your success.
It's not uncommon for driven athletes to become hyper-focused or obsessed with food and with the idea of controlling eating to reach a performance, health or body composition goal. Inflexible thinking increases the tendency of making decisions with an all or nothing, black or white mentality. As a result, any deviation from self-imposed rules becomes an unacceptable failure. With a strict set of standards that you strive to meet, your constant drive to improve can lead to a dissatisfaction when you fail to meet your high expectations and goals. As a result, this adds fuel to the fire and perpetuates a stronger drive toward perfection and control. It can be difficult for the highly driven athlete to accept suggestions or advice from well-meaning professionals - keeping you in a cycle of self-sabotage.
There's nothing wrong with being motivated, driven and dedicated. But when a level of perfectionism shows up in your eating habits and exercise regime, being too driven can do more harm than good. Add in the pressure of wanting to be lean due to sport and societies obsession with thinness and you can understand how your good intentions can lead to unhealthy outcomes.
Taking health risks for a perceived competitive edge will make you lose in the long run. No matter your athletic goals or fitness level, you should not have to prioritize your athletic development over your well-being.
If this speaks to you, I create a program to help you get more out of your training without compromising your mental and physical health. Through The Whole Athlete 6-lesson course, you will learn how diet culture, a societal obsession with health and the chase for an ideal race weight are negatively impacting your training, mental well-being and physical health. Once you understand why you think how you think about food, health and your body, you can fix the distorted views that you've developed with food and your body.
Learn more HERE.