Redefining Success: Purpose Beyond the Podium
Key Points
Outcome-based success is fragile; value-based success sustains identity and motivation.
Rooting goals in core values enhances resilience, confidence, and emotional well-being.
Reflective tools like journaling, purpose mapping, and legacy reflection deepen athlete purpose.
Purpose-based goals help athletes stay focused, especially during setbacks and transitions.
What to Consider When Reading
How does shifting from outcome-driven to value-based success impact long-term athletic fulfillment?
Why are purpose-based goals more sustainable during setbacks or transitions in sport?
Success in sport isn’t just about medals and records—it’s about meaning.
In an era of highlight reels, sponsorships, and high-performance pressure, more athletes are starting to ask: What does it really mean to “make it” in sports?
The truth? Long-term fulfillment and success comes from aligning with something deeper—your values, your purpose, your why.
While titles, rankings, and podiums matter, they don’t tell the whole story. They're outcomes, not identity.
Because when the season ends, the medal slips away, or the scoreboard doesn’t reflect your effort—what’s left? That’s when value-based success matters most. It’s not just what you achieve, but how and why you pursue it.
Redefining What Success Means to You
From a young age, many athletes are taught that success equals winning. Score the most goals. Break the record. Get the scholarship. Be the best. These messages are everywhere—on leaderboards, in highlight reels, and even in casual conversations with coaches, parents, or teammates.
Over time, it becomes easy to link your worth with your outcomes. You win, you’re praised. You lose, you’re questioned. The result? Success starts to feel like something you earn only when you’re at your best—and disappears the moment you’re not.
But what if that’s not the whole picture?
When you anchor success only to external rewards, it creates a fragile foundation. One bad performance can feel like failure. A missed opportunity can shake your confidence. And when your athletic career ends (or pauses), you may find yourself questioning your identity entirely.
That’s why redefining success is key.
As mental performance coach Dr. Cassidy Preston puts it, “Success should not be defined by the outcome, but by the intention and effort behind it.” It’s about the process, the mindset, and the type of person you’re becoming along the way” (Prston, n.d.)
“You can’t let your victories define you just like you can’t let your failures consume you.”
— Serena Williams, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar (2019)
Value-Based Success: A Long-Term Approach
So, what does success look like when it's rooted in values instead of results?
Value-based success is when your goals align with personal principles—like discipline, growth, leadership, or resilience. These values don’t disappear when the scoreboard isn’t in your favour. They stay with you through every setback, transition, or injury.
For example:
If your value is growth, success might mean learning something from every practice.
If your value is leadership, it might mean showing up for your team even when you’re not playing your best.
If your value is resilience, it could mean bouncing back after a hard loss and staying committed to the process.
This shift in mindset builds emotional resilience. Athletes who focus on internal values tend to maintain motivation, mental well-being, and long-term satisfaction in and out of sport. A 2021 study in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that athletes with a strong sense of internal purpose reported lower burnout and higher levels of enjoyment—even during high-pressure seasons (Cronin & Allen, 2021).
When success is based on who you are and how you show up, rather than what you achieve, you gain more control over your experience—and that’s where real confidence begins.
Why Value-Based Success Matters
When athletes define themselves solely by results, such as wins or rankings, they often face:
Burnout
Anxiety
Loss of identity after failure
But those who ground their journey in sport success values like discipline, teamwork, integrity, and personal growth tend to show stronger:
Resilience
Confidence
Long-term motivation
A 2015 study in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology found that athletes with a strong sense of purpose and personal meaning in their sport were better equipped to navigate challenges and bounce back from setbacks (Fraser-Thomas & Côté, 2015).
When you anchor your goals in values, your definition of success becomes more:
Sustainable
MeaningfulAligned with who you are as both an athlete and a person
Think of it this way: Outcome-based success is the destination. Values-based success is the direction.
Discovering Your Athlete Purpose
Once you identify your core values—like growth, discipline, learning, or teamwork—your athletic purpose starts to come into focus. These values act like a compass, guiding your decisions, your training, and how you show up, regardless of the outcome.
When your goals are rooted in these deeper principles, your purpose becomes more stable and sustainable. Why? Because values come from within—they aren’t tied to external validation like wins, rankings, or recognition. That means even when circumstances shift, you still have a strong internal drive. You're chasing growth, not just gold. And that kind of purpose doesn’t fade after a single loss or setback—it keeps you moving forward, with intention.
How to Clarify Your Purpose as an Athlete
Here are evidence-based tools and reflective prompts to help athletes define a deeper sense of meaning and direction in their journey—one rooted in who they are, not just what they achieve.
1. Values-Based Journaling
Journaling is a widely used strategy in both performance and clinical psychology to enhance self-awareness, emotional regulation, and motivation (Frattaroli, 2006). For athletes, it’s a way to reconnect with the “why” behind their training and competition.
Try prompts like:
"What moments in sport make me feel most alive?"
"What kind of teammate do I want to be remembered as?"
"What values guide me when no one is watching?"
“How does my game inspire others?”
Why it works: Reflective writing helps athletes articulate their internal motivators and build a stronger sense of identity and purpose (Martin & Gill, 1991).
2. Purpose Mapping
This tool overlaps with Ikigai (a Japanese concept meaning “reason for being”) and is often used in sport psychology coaching to connect passion, talent, and meaning.
Visual activity:
Draw three circles labeled:
What I love in sport
What I’m good at
What feels meaningful to me
Where they intersect lies your purpose zone—a personal compass that can guide your goals and behaviors.
Why it works: When athletes identify personally meaningful goals, they demonstrate stronger intrinsic motivation and long-term commitment (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
3. Legacy Reflection
Looking ahead can help clarify what truly matters now. When athletes think beyond results and imagine what they want their impact to be, they often shift focus to values like mentorship, growth, and joy.
Try prompts like:
"If I couldn’t compete tomorrow, what do I want to carry forward from sport?"
"What kind of person do I want to become because of sport?"
Reflecting on legacy fosters prosocial goals, stronger identity, and sustained motivation—even during performance slumps or after a sport ends (Lonsdale, Hodge & Rose, 2009).
Positive self-talk does more than boost morale—it strengthens your identity when rooted in your core values. Statements like, “I’m resilient,” “I grow through challenges,” or “I lead with effort,” reaffirm who you are rather than what you achieve. This mindset-driven self-talk carries you through pressure or setbacks because it’s based on internal beliefs that don’t waver with outcomes.
Olympian Simone Biles has spoken openly about using positive self-talk to stay grounded during difficult moments: “I remind myself that I’m more than my accomplishments. I’m strong, I’m capable, and I belong here” (Biles, 2021). Rooting her mindset in self-worth and internal strength helps her perform — and recover — with clarity and confidence.
Set Purpose-Based Goals
Purpose-based goals help athletes reconnect with what truly matters—the process, the values, and the mindset they bring to every moment. Instead of fixating on outcomes like “Get recruited” or “Win my next competition,” shift your goals to reflect effort and intention.
Consider the difference:
Instead of “Make finals,” try:
→ “Show up fully in every drill this week.”
Instead of “Win my next competition,” try:
→ “Stick to the game plan and manage the pressure as a team.”Instead of “Be the best on the team,” try:
→ “Lead with positivity and stay focused under pressure.”
These kinds of goals are process-oriented, values-aligned, and within your control. They emphasize what you can do rather than what you can’t guarantee. Swapping “Be the best player on my team” for “Lead with positivity and stay focused under pressure” reminds you that your progress isn’t only measured by titles—but by how you show up, grow, and lead. This kind of framing also helps athletes recognize their own progress even after setbacks, keeping motivation steady and purpose clear.
Once a Setback Happens, What Should You Do?
Losses, missed opportunities, or off-days can rattle even the most experienced athletes. When your identity is tied to outcomes, setbacks can feel personal, even paralyzing. But this is exactly when purpose-based goals become your anchor.
Instead of spiraling into frustration or self-doubt, shift your focus to what’s still within your control:
Review my performance and identify one learning point to carry forward.
Practice a 5-minute visualization of my next competition.
Have an honest check-in with my coach about areas to grow.
Commit to three recovery-focused workouts this week.
These types of goals help you:
Reclaim agency – You’re not powerless after a loss; you’re learning.
Refocus on growth – Every setback is a feedback loop, not a full stop.
Stay connected to your values – Whether it’s discipline, resilience, or leadership, setbacks become part of your development—not a detour.
As performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais emphasizes, “You can’t just be purpose-driven when things are going well.” Purpose is the fuel that keeps you grounded when things go sideways (Gervais, 2016).
Let your purpose-based goals be the bridge between where you are now and where you want to go—one intentional step at a time.
The Role of Mental Coaching
Mental coaching plays a pivotal role in helping athletes move beyond outcome-driven definitions of success. A Mental Performance Coach can guide athletes in clarifying their core values, identifying their deeper purpose, and aligning daily actions with those principles. This alignment not only fuels intrinsic motivation but also creates a more stable sense of identity—one that isn’t easily shaken by a single bad game or missed opportunity.
Through tools like visualization, positive self-talk, journaling, and goal-setting, athletes build confidence and resilience rooted in their values. In short, mental coaching helps you understand the bigger picture of success, and your mindset is more adaptable. You're not just training to win—you’re training to grow.
Remember: When you root your journey in values, every rep, every setback, and every small win becomes part of something greater—because success isn't just about what you achieve, but who you become along the way.
References
Bils, S. (2021, July 28). Simone Biles says support has made her realise ‘I’m more than my accomplishments’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/28/simone-biles-support-message-gymnastics-withdrawal-tokyo-2020-olympics
Cronin, L. D., & Allen, J. B. (2021). Developmental experiences and self-concordant goal pursuit in youth sport: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 43(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0052
Gervais, M. (2016). Michael Gervais on High Performance Psychology. GQ Interview.
Fraser-Thomas, J., & Côté, J. (2015). Youth sport programs: An avenue to foster positive youth development. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 20(1), 19–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2013.842221
Frattaroli, J. (2006). Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(6), 823–865. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.823
Harper’s Bazaar. (2019, July 9). Serena Williams on Body Image, Success, and Her Career. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a28481431/serena-williams-interview-2019/
Martin, J. J., & Gill, D. L. (1991). The relationships among competitive orientation, sport-confidence, self-efficacy, anxiety, and performance. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 13(2), 149–159.
Preston, C. (n.d.). Mental performance coaching insights [YouTube channel]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlw6dZ0wnnbIzZN4d1VzcQ
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
