In this article, I’m going to discuss how expectations impact performance. How certain types of expectations lead to loss of composure and increased pressure and anxiety, while other types of expectations actually help us perform better.
It’s natural for athletes to have expectations for their performance, especially when they’ve been doing well in practice.
They’ve been seeing themselves improve, and then they’re going to go into a game where it matters. So, now we’re going to start placing expectations on ourselves to perform better.
But one thing I’ve seen among pretty much all the athletes I work with in my one-on-one coaching program is that when we set the wrong types of expectations, this leads to stress, anxiety, and loss of composure.
Outcome vs. Process Expectations
Outcome expectations involve you expecting yourself to perform well, expecting yourself to get a certain score, or you expecting yourself to get a certain stat line.
On the surface, those seem like no-brainers, right?
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If I’m playing golf, I want to shoot a certain score for the round.
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If I’m a baseball player, of course I want to get one or two hits today or expect myself to keep my batting average above .300.
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If I’m a basketball player, I might expect myself to get at least 10 points or at least five assists.
Those are things that we want to achieve.
But the trouble comes in when we expect those things of ourselves to a point where at the first sign that we’re not achieving them, we end up getting frustrated and down on ourselves.
Or even before the game starts, we’re already playing with so much more anxiety than we do in practice because we don’t place those same expectations on ourselves during practice.
How Outcome-Based Expectations Hurt Performance
Anger & Loss of Composure
Loss of composure is probably the main reason I see expectations hold athletes back. Whenever we get angry—whether in sports or in life—it’s usually because an expectation we had was not met.
When we base our performances on outcome expectations, we cannot fully control whether or not they happen.
For example: If I expect myself to shoot even par throughout a golf round, and then I three-putt and get a double bogey, in my mind my expectation hasn’t been met. That increases frustration, which I then carry into the next hole. Now I’m tense, stressed, and not as focused. My performance drops.
The same thing applies to every sport. When we expect ourselves to play perfectly or achieve certain outcomes, unmet expectations lead to frustration, loss of composure, and poorer performance.
Pressure & Anxiety
The next way outcome expectations hold us back is by putting more pressure and anxiety on ourselves.
If I’m a baseball player expecting myself to get a hit, I’m now pressing at the plate. I’m not relaxed. I’m forcing things. This creates a huge difference between how I play in practice versus in games.
In practice, I’m relaxed—no score is being kept. But in games, when the score matters, the pressure of outcome expectations causes me to underperform.
That’s why athletes have to be careful not to fixate on outcome-based expectations. Of course, we want outcomes to happen—that’s the reason we’re competing. But fixation only holds us back.
Learning to Set Controllable Expectations
Instead, we want to focus on and expect things of ourselves that we can actually make sure happen.
When I work with athletes, I love walking them through an exercise where they outline their outcome expectations and then break them down into mini goals. These mini goals are controllable standards they can focus on during games.
For example:
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Staying composed and calm before every shot.
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Taking time to line up properly.
These are controllable expectations—things you can guarantee you do. By focusing on them, not only do you reduce frustration, but you also increase your chances of achieving your original outcome goals.
This is the paradox of sports: when we fixate on outcomes, we actually lower our chances of achieving them. But when we accept they’re not fully in our control and instead focus on controllables, our chances of success increase.
I remember working with a younger athlete, a soccer player. She expected herself to score a goal every game. I asked her if it would be fair to expect something of her younger sibling that wasn’t in their control. She said no.
And that’s exactly what she was doing to herself. Expecting a goal every game is unfair because it’s not fully within her control.
But it is fair to expect yourself to stay composed, to respond positively to mistakes, and to put in effort at practice. Those are controllable expectations.
When that becomes your focal point, you don’t even need to worry about the outcome—it becomes a natural byproduct of sticking to your standards.
Using Both Types of Expectations Together
Now, the last thing I want to mention is that we can use both types of expectations together.
Outcome expectations are often strong motivators. For example, expecting myself to play my best every game is motivating. But we must take it further.
Use outcome expectations as motivation, but then break them down into controllable mini goals and focus your attention there.
No matter what level you play at, you’ll achieve your desired outcomes more consistently when you do the small things well and focus on what’s within your control.
Final Thoughts
What I want you to do right now is:
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Make a list of your outcome expectations.
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Break them down into controllable mini goals—the things you can expect of yourself because you can guarantee they happen.
When you shift your focus from outcome-based to process-based expectations, you reduce anxiety and frustration, and put yourself in the best position to succeed.
If you’re interested in one-on-one mental coaching, click here to schedule a free introductory coaching call.
I’ve also created two online mental training courses for athletes:
And if you’re more of a reader, check out my books:
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
