PERFECTIONISM / 001 [IS PERFECTIONISM GOOD OR BAD FOR ATHLETES?]

PERFECTIONISM / 001 [IS PERFECTIONISM GOOD OR BAD FOR ATHLETES?]

Question
Does being a perfectionist help you or hurt you as an athlete?

Study
Researchers combined the results of 52 studies on perfectionism in sport, published between 1990 and 2016. They split perfectionism into two sides. Striving: setting very high standards and pushing for perfection. Concerns: worrying about mistakes, doubting yourself and fearing what others think of you.

Findings
The two sides work very differently. Striving was linked to slightly better performance and to more motivation that comes from enjoying the sport, but also to more nerves. Concerns had no link with performance at all. Instead, they were strongly linked to fear of failure, anxiety, lower confidence and feeling down. Striving looked healthiest in athletes who did not also worry a lot about mistakes.

What It Means for Athletes
High standards are not the problem. The fear of falling short is. Aiming high can help you, as long as a mistake doesn't feel like a disaster. Keep in mind that most of these studies measured everything at one moment, so we know these things go together, not exactly what causes what.

Try this: after your next session, write down one thing you did well and one mistake. Next to the mistake, write one thing you learn from it. Then close the notebook and let it go.

Source
Hill, A. P., Mallinson-Howard, S. H., & Jowett, G. E. (2018). Multidimensional perfectionism in sport: A meta-analytical review. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 7(3), pp. 235 to 270.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE
Translating sports science into information athletes can actually use.