Perfectionism in sports can make athletes feel like every mistake is a failure, pressure themselves to perform perfectly, and lose confidence and enjoyment in their sport. In this episode, I explain how to overcome perfectionism while keeping your ambition, high standards, and desire to improve.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome perfectionism, performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you’ll learn what perfectionism looks like in sports, how to recognize it, and why hard work and ambition can sometimes turn into pressure to be perfect. I’ll also explain how perfectionism can create tension and hesitation, make one mistake affect the rest of your game, and take away confidence and joy.

Then I’ll walk you through ways to let go of perfectionism without lowering your standards: focus on improvement instead of perfect results, set controllable objectives, learn to accept mistakes, and evaluate your performances more objectively.

Not quite ready for 1-on-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses:

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:46 What Is Perfectionism in Sports?
2:53 Signs You’re a Perfectionist Athlete
7:11 Why Do Athletes Become Perfectionists?
11:40 How Perfectionism Hurts Athletic Performance
16:15 Why One Mistake Can Ruin the Rest of Your Game
18:50 How to Overcome Perfectionism in Sports
37:11 Mental Performance Coaching for Perfectionist Athletes

📖 Read my complete guide to overcoming perfectionism in sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/perfectionism-in-sports/overcome-perfectionism-in-sports/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.