It’s easy to confuse the two and think they are the same thing. But when we aren’t being careful, we might be using the wrong motivation as fuel without realizing it.
When a school forms a sports team, the primary purpose is rarely to train kids to become professional athletes in the near future, unless the school is specifically designed for that purpose. For most schools, having a sports team supports students who love the game and helps them improve as players for both the sport and the team.
Clarifying the team's purpose is crucial for helping each player find motivation that serves. Instead of thinking that winning is the purpose of the game, treating it as a natural outcome helps everyone find the fuel to play to the best of their ability. If players show up to play for their teammates rather than themselves, they are more likely to reach beyond what's possible.
The same goes for almost everything we do in life.
