Obstacle Mud Runner - Issue 7

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 16 RACE : PERFORMANCE sharing the experience The impact of social media on performance It may be something you’ve never thought about. It may be something that occupies every 3rd thought you have in a day. With the tools to connect with friends, family and potentially the entire world at your finger tips, what impact do the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Strava, Messenger, Whatsapp and alike have on our ability to be fully present in the moment where we need to step up and shine like a star? What performance are we talking about? Whatever performance you are thinking about right at this moment. It could be the performance you give when asked to present to management. It could be how you perform in the race that got you off the sofa, into the gym and now you’re faced with a 5km road or obstacle race. Or it could even be that big project you’ve been handed and you want to do well in. Performance in this context, is about how you go about doing something which you have a vested interest in achieving, and to a standard you have an emotional attachment to attaining. Like most things in life, start with the ‘why’ The motives for engaging in social media are often unique and complex. The decisions to post a picture of one’s workout, the environment you are currently in, the experience you’ve just had or the memory you wish to share can take minutes to make, and potentially leave an impression for a lifetime (depending on the state of those who see it). But why might someone have taken the decision to post that image, video or wording, and the narrative that accompanies it? Are they looking for support? Are they looking to share their self-perceived success? Are they after sympathy? A study by the New York Times Consumer Insight Group found 5 reasons why people share on social media... Graham Roberts Performance Coach and Behavioural Change Consultant at Ispire Motivational Coaching Ltd, gives us an insight into a world. I think most of us can relate. motivational coaching Why might someone have taken the decision to post that image, video or wording, and the narrative that accompanies it? When was the last time you sat and considered the impact social media has on your ability to perform?