The Effort Enigma
What makes the best athletes in the world look so effortless?
Most of us have known that one person in life who is exceptionally good at what they do - runners, classmates, public speakers - and they do it really well while appearing effortless… almost as if they didn’t even care.
When I was playing college tennis, my teammates at the top of the lineup had a fairly nonchalant, even unconcerned way of going about the sport. Their blasé demeanor acted like a floatation device that sailed them through high pressure matches. Meanwhile, I cared so much you could see the tension oozing out of my pores. I thought my teammates were just born with innate talent and took it for granted. I’d silently stew in resent, asking the universe why I wasn’t having the same results if I worked twice as hard and cared twice as much.
It took me a decade or so to realize that my teammates actually had a healthy grip on the sport. They were able to care just enough without forcing the outcome.
If you watch athletes and performers at the top of their game, you’ll notice this delicate dichotomy of determination and ease. It is a visible trait often demonstrated through body language - the way Roger Federer slides his hands through his hair as he moves from one point to another, or the distinguishable repose in Jalen Hurts’ eyes during big moments.
The balance between effort and ease is a hallmark of elite athletes. This paradoxical pairing is often described as relaxed intensity, controlled aggression, or flow under pressure. When we force the outcome, we tend to get in our own way. I call this the Effort Enigma, and it is a puzzle I re-piece together by contradicting culturally embedded performance ideologies. Elite athletes are elite because they do something differently. Here is a breakdown of how they strike this balance between effort and ease to find peak performance.
Counterculture Idea #1:
You are not “A runner” - Diversify your purpose portfolio
I have raced dozens of half and full ironman races and am encroaching on ten marathons - but I don’t actually call myself “a runner.” Instead I say, “I am a person who runs.” This small, seemingly trivial shift, allows for ample space between my identity and the thing that I do.
Growing up, I was one of those hyper-specialized kids. I tasted the pressure of college recruiting at the psycho-emotionally unstable age of 13 - a process I describe like my favorite kind of candy: tart and addicting. From then on it was tennis 24/7. I had no idea who I was besides “a tennis player.” This made it extremely hard to feel confident in my body when I was injured, and it took a massive toll on my sense of purpose when I ultimately stopped playing.
Creating space between who you are and what you do will allow you to diversify your purpose portfolio. Faith Kipyegon stepped into this archetype when she became a mother. “As an athlete, being a mother meant stepping into a whole new chapter of my life.” She was able to tap into something bigger than running. “My approach to Rio, Tokyo and Paris were all totally different. My first gold medal in Rio, I was 22, so young. I was still running for myself…. Today, I’m running to inspire my daughter and other young girls like her.”
When your identity expands beyond the thing you do, you create space for joy and long-term growth.
Counterculture Idea #2:
Go Watchless - Re-learn how to listen to your body
We have access to more data than ever before. Yes, it is valuable… but this data inundation has stripped us of a crucial human skill; Interoception - or the ability to sense internal signals from your body like heartbeat, breath, tension, or fatigue - is critical for athletes. External data can measure your training, but interoception teaches you how to feel effort. Some of the most valuable KPIs can only be measured through interoception. Feeling when your body needs recovery rather than just hitting mileage targets will help you shirk consequences of overtraining. Noticing subtle fatigue or stress before it becomes a problem will help you avoid injury. Experiencing the present moment, key for entering flow, can prime you for your best performance.
Kate Courtney, world champion cyclist, recently spoke about working with a new coach who helped her release her death grip on the data. She described her attachment to data as “maximizing vs. optimizing” - at some point, maximal is not optimal anymore. Her coach, Berry Austin, told her to ride at altitude for three days without any data - just ride. He told her, “you’ve been so focused on doing, that you forgot how to be.” It was then when Courtney realized how her reliance on numbers was actually constraining her from reaching untapped potential. She started performing better as she remembered her love for the sport and how she felt as a young athlete exploring the edges of her capacity within her own body.
Effortlessness requires interoception; however, the more heavily we rely on external data, the less we’re able to feel for ourselves. Integrating runs without your watch - tune into your breathing, perceived effort, and emotional state - can re-develop this internal compass that ultimately makes you a more adaptable, intuitive, and resilient athlete.
Counterculture Idea # 3
Don’t set goals - Instead, visualize the kind of person you want to be.
I’m not a huge fan of setting goals. We live in an era of goal setting, and it is something that personally dominated my life growing up. I’d set goals constantly and one of three things would always happen:
My identity would get so wrapped up in the goal that falling short would take a huge hit on my sense of self-worth.
I’d reach the goal and my self-worth would take a temporary dopamine hit - but it was often followed with a quick descent. The dull ache of arrival fallacy, believing external goals will bring you happiness, would leave me continuously wanting more and never feeling good enough.
My perspective narrowed. There is research to show how goals can induce anxiety and fear of failure, while “performance-avoidance” goal orientation1 actually leads to more joy and a sense of purpose. Clenching onto my goals kept my attention constricted rather than tapping into a purpose bigger than myself.
After years of getting ricocheted by my own goals, I started focusing on the kind of person I wanted to be rather than what goals I was setting for myself. Who is the kind of person who runs a fast marathon? Someone who is consistent and resilient. Who is the kind of person who gets the promotion? Someone who is driven and willing to take risks. Jalen Hurts said it beautifully: “I wouldn't say I'm goal oriented. I say I'm value based. You know, it's about the values, it's about the character you have, it's about the daily things that you do.” Shifting your focus away from the outcome and towards cultivating the qualities required to achieve the outcome will allow for a looser grip and a larger perspective.
Final thoughts from one of the best athletes in history
Finding that sweet spot between effort and ease is an intricate dance between preparation, commitment, relaxation, and self belief. Roger Federer, one of the most “effortless” world-class athletes of all time, said it best in his 2024 Dartmouth College commencement speech:
“‘Effortless’… is a myth. I say that as someone who has heard that word a lot… The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy. I spent years whining... swearing… throwing my racket… before I learned to keep my cool. I didn’t get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents. I believed in myself. But belief in yourself has to be earned.”
Federer is the epitome of trying without grasping. A shift from forceful control to committed curiosity and self belief will open new doors to the sweet spot of effort. It is not the grind of strain but the grace of presence where the best in the world stop chasing control and, instead, become it.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/hmsls_mastersprojects/82/