From performance thinking to growth - how my view as a coach has changed

I grew up in the tough world of professional sport. In this world, one thing counts above all else: performance. Even as a child, I learned that if you're good, you get recognition. If you play badly, you don't get it. This conditioning shaped me for a long time - and deeply. I looked at everything through this lens: myself, my work, my fellow human beings. I evaluated, compared, measured - always in terms of performance. That was my metric. And I was convinced that this was the only way it worked.

Performance as a benchmark - and its limits

In my early coaching days, I was thrilled when people stepped on the gas, were ambitious, had goals and wanted results. That was proof to me that they were "good" - because they met my definition at the time. But when someone showed less pressure, more doubt or less energy, my work often felt difficult. I had less joy because it was considered "not enough" in my internal metrics. I was confusing achievement with value. And that was the point where I needed to understand something fundamental.

Growth comes before performance

In my own development as a person and as a coach, I realized at some point: Growth comes before performance. I changed my focus. I no longer evaluate myself - and others - according to what someone achieves, but how someone grows. I have shifted my metrics - from performance to development. I no longer give myself love for my results, but for my attitude, my commitment, my clarity. And that has changed everything.

When you change your focus, everything changes

This inner change has of course also been reflected in my external behavior. I am proud when people in my coaching sessions do not simply "function", but become aware. When they reflect, surpass themselves and change their attitude. My goal is no longer to shape people in a "performance-oriented" way - but to help them grow. And this process fills me with a depth that I never knew before.

From pressure to joy

In the past, I sometimes only half enjoyed my work. Today, I always enjoy it. Because I no longer focus on the result, but on the journey. I am motivated to work with everyone - no matter where they are at the moment. Because when the focus is on growth, performance comes anyway.

Conclusion

Performance is not wrong. But it is the result, not the starting point. Growth means staying in motion - honestly, consciously and openly. If you grow, performance will follow. Always. And that is exactly the attitude I live by today - as a person, as a coach and as a dog trainer.

Do you want to learn how to develop yourself and your dog not through performance, but through real growth - calmly, clearly and sustainably? Then start with your free initial consultation!