Action vs. Performance

Hey Reader,

Last week I told you action is one of my real antidotes to regret and shame, to that spiral of trying to figure it all out in my head instead of moving. Taking action is a big deal for me. It's how I get unstuck.

Sitting in church yesterday, our pastor was talking about performance, and something in me sat up.

Because I think for me, that performance mindset is really rooted in people-pleasing. I'm a recovering people-pleaser, and the more I sat with it, the more I realized there's a paper-thin line between taking action and performing. From the outside they can look exactly the same. Both involve doing the work, showing up, putting things out there, making moves.

The difference is the heart behind it.

When I ask myself, am I taking action, I'm really asking: am I being decisive, am I moving toward what I actually want. When I ask myself, is this performance, I'm asking something different: am I doing this so someone sees me, so someone acknowledges me. Same motion. Different posture.

I'm still working out where that line sits for me, but two things keep surfacing.

The first is just glorifying God, fulfilling what He's actually called me to and letting go of needing to control how it looks.

The second is harder, and I don't think I've fully landed it yet: letting go of the outcome. Because if I'm honest, when I get too tied to how something turns out, that starts to feel like performance too, even when the action itself was right.

I want to be careful here, because I don't mean results don't matter. They do. I still want to hit the goal, still want to see the growth, still want to work hard and aim high. It's not "whatever happens, happens." It's more that I'm trying to trust God's sovereignty alongside my effort, instead of needing the outcome itself to tell me I did it right.

Real action isn't about proving yourself to anyone. It’s about leaning into obedience, putting one foot in front of the other, and trusting God with where the path leads.

Today's 5 Daily Anchors: Heart Posture

Run today's shift from performance to action through your five:

• Faith: Name one outcome you're gripping too tightly. Practice handing it over, just for today.
• Move: Physical reset. Drop your shoulders, open your chest, shake off whatever you've been carrying for everyone else.
• Connect: Check on a friend with zero agenda. Encourage them because you mean it, not because you're owed anything back.
• Build: Pick one task today and do it for the quiet impact only. Do it well because it matters, not because it gets noticed.
• Reflect: Where am I taking action to be seen, instead of because it's simply true to who I am?

Where's that line between action and performance showing up for you today? Hit reply, I read every one.

Talk soon,
LCJ

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