Performance is usually measured by what happens on the outside: the decisions we make, the work we produce, the goals we achieve and the results we create.
But there is another side to performance that is much harder to measure.
I think of these as the outer game and the inner game.
The Inner Game
The inner game is what is happening psychologically while we are trying to live, work and perform.
It includes things like confidence, attention, clarity, self-doubt, emotional state, expectations and the stories we tell ourselves about what is possible.
Two people can face almost identical circumstances and experience them very differently. Our interpretation of events, previous experiences, beliefs and current state all influence how we respond.
This matters because our inner experience can change what we do next.
If I am convinced I am going to fail, I may avoid taking a risk. If I am caught in overthinking, I may struggle to make a decision. If I am putting enormous pressure on myself to perform perfectly, I may actually perform worse.
Sometimes improving performance therefore requires more than another strategy or productivity technique. It requires understanding what is happening in the inner game.
The Outer Game
The outer game is what we actually do and the results that follow.
It might involve progressing in your career, building a business, improving a relationship, becoming healthier, developing a skill or making a significant life change.
The two interact.
Greater psychological clarity can make better action possible, while taking meaningful action can change how we think and feel about ourselves.
That intersection between psychology and performance is one of the areas I find most interesting in my work.
The outer game is all about your performance in life and the results you get in the areas such as work, relationships, your health, and any other circumstance that you like to think about. Generally speaking, people like to earn good money, go on relaxing holidays, have some adventure and excitement in life, and share all that with people they love.
My work is about helping people have more positive inner worlds, and more positive outer worlds.
I know lots of coaches who focus on one or the other, but I don’t know too many who focus on both. When I worked in Psychology, it was very much a focus on the inner, and almost none on performance.
I like to blend what I call the science of psychology, with the art of transformative coaching to really make a positive impact on people’s inner world and outer world.
And that’s what I do.
So what do you want? And why do you think you haven’t got it already?
I can help.
Getting Out of Your Own Way
Often the problem is not that we lack information.
We already know roughly what we should do.
The interesting question is why we are not doing it.
That is where exploring the inner game becomes useful: understanding the assumptions, habits and patterns of thinking that influence how we respond, then testing whether there is another way forward.
If that is something you would like help exploring, you can learn more about my life coaching and how I work with professionals who want greater clarity, confidence and performance.
