No Performance Happens in a Vacuum

How to keep showing up when the world is unraveling

Right now, we are being asked to perform in unprecedented times. The U.S. just entered the Iran-Israel war and undocumented immigrants (the vast majority of whom are hard-working, family-focused, wonderful contributors to society) are being kidnapped, detained, and deported by our own government. Tensions are high, the future is unknown, and yet, we’re still meeting our deadlines and creating summer magic for our kids. How can we hold both catastrophe and camp drop offs without splitting in two?

We have to realize that we’ve never really had precedented times. When we examine history, we see that humans have always been asked to survive, perform, create, and care for each other in the midst of crisis. Change and chaos are constants, but so is our will to keep going. Of course, that truth doesn’t undermine the insanity that we’re currently experiencing. But, it helps to remember that, on a global scale, there have never been normal times.

We always bring our full, tangled selves into every moment—and right now, those selves are carrying the weight of war, injustice, climate anxiety, and economic strain. A couple weeks ago, our 8 year old said, “I’m concerned about climate change. If we don’t do anything, then by 2050 the oceans will rise so much that there will be really big problems.” He’s not wrong. But still, I’m hopeful—and I told him why. A couple days later, also before bed, he said, “is the U.S. going to have another civil war? It just seems that people have such different ideas of what’s right.” Again, he’s not wrong. But again, I’m hopeful—and I shared why.

So yes, these are predictably unprecedented times. And yet, the sunscreen needs to be packed, the work needs to be done, and the workouts still matter (self-care is critical, people. It’s critical).

Here’s the reality of buying into the myth of normal times: It sets us up to feel like we’re failing when our focus wavers or our energy is off. So, reframe that. Shift your mindset into realizing that performing is not about perfect conditions. It’s about presence. In pain and under pressure.

We know the stories of athletes performing well while facing tremendous adversity off the field. We know the stories of artists creating while moving through difficult emotions.

And every day, we show up holding both anger and determination, grief and purpose. We show up messy, uncertain, tired, and tender—and still, we teach, coach, build, write, dance, parent, run, lead, and try again.

We experience emotional whiplash when we hear about another crisis—in our own lives or in the lives of strangers—and then resume the daily grind (and notice the daily delights). We use sport psychology tools to anchor our performance. They ground us; they don’t numb us. Performance isn’t about ignoring the world. When we do it right, we include the world—and find a way through the challenges, together.

The goal right now is to perform “as if” some version of forward momentum is possible. And yes, sometimes when we act “as if”, it feels like a lie. But, it is also possible that sometimes it can feel like hope. It’s not about pretending like everything is fine; it’s about performing as if there can still be beauty in this world—people showing up to do what they do with care, with excellence, and with joy.

Maybe performing as if the world can still be beautiful is the most radical thing we can do. Imagine that.

Photo by Alex Cao on Unsplash