High performance is not all about talent
I have been there, on that ladder we all want to climb at work. Striving for high performance and success. As a younger man I thought it was all about talent and how bright my star might shine.
Then I realised how bright everyone else was shining too. Maybe harder work and extra education was going to be the key to my planned, meteoric rise to the top. Pretty soon though, everyone else was working harder too – and getting a little tired.
Was this a ladder to the top or just a treadmill going nowhere? Gym treadmills aren’t my favourite machine – but career treadmills are the worst!
Then other things started to happen: people had families, marriages and divorces, and suddenly there wasn’t enough time or energy to do everything. It was about that time that I realised that there was an awful lot of luck involved in how far people would end up going in their career.
It felt like skill, talent, hard work, and diligence were no better predictors of high-performance and success than a roll of a dice could be. Hell, I even flipped a coin on the whole thing at one point – but that’s another story.
Truth is: I didn’t know how to be better. I know more now.
Since you are looking at getting further ahead, improving your performance, achieving more financial security, and striving for ‘better’ in what you already do – I want to help you tap into something very special.
With hindsight there were some factors that I overlooked – simple ways I could have enhanced every aspect of my performance and increased those odds a little, maybe a lot.
I am happy to share those with you now, as I have seen them help lots of my clients. Well, those who are willing to do what it takes!
3 SECRETS TO MAXIMISE YOUR POTENTIAL
SECRET 1: Rest-Up
Sleep: More. Sleeping well is like topping up your savings account. You are richer for doing it, will have more reserves in times of need, and less stress for doing it more often.
Sleep helps us manage cortisol (stress), increases hormones that promote physical recovery, and it is time when the brain itself is repairing. It has become somewhat heroic to ‘go-without’ sleep – but that is because you just don’t see how it slowly reduces every single mental and physical capability that you have. Ask any mom with young kids how they can spend days in a mental a fog.
Step one to outperform your peers is to be alert when they are not; to be rested when they are tired; to be raring to go while they are still rubbing their eyes.
I would give up dinner, give up TV, give up chatting on the phone, and happily leave the clothes unfolded rather than chip away at my sleep. My clients that do the same are ahead of the pack the moment they step into the office.
SECRET 2: Fuel-Up
Eat: Really well. Get it right and I guarantee you will have more energy. You will definitely concentrate better. You will think with greater clarity. You will tap into all your experience and knowledge and utilise it better than ever before.
You are now 2 steps ahead of where you were.
I was a senior chef at world-class restaurants but I went corporate several years ago.
I know a lot about food and food prep but even I struggled to prepare and eat well when I transitioned into corporate life. I thought I was doing the right thing but I was under-eating and having foods that didn’t help me perform.
I have been working with Ninth Wave for more than two years. I could go on about my progress in the lifts, my fat loss, and how weight training proved to be so much better than the cardio/fitness training I had done before.
Perhaps the most important change though, is how I feel on a daily basis. Despite work, a young child, and studying I feel better every day and hit the office with more drive than ever before.
When I start my day with protein, quality fats, and vegetables, I am focused and sharper. My energy lasts longer.
When I have a good lunch – I am not bloated or sluggish. I now know what helps me and what hinders my performance. This gives me a clear edge.
SECRET 3: Ramp-Up
Move: Often. Yes, this means exercise. If you put wealth before health it is an anti-investment.
Only you can generate wealth. You will generate more if you are in better health, for longer. That is a Fact.
Maybe the future does not excite you . You know that by the time you are really in a place to enjoy your success you may not be in a condition to take advantage of it if your health doesn’t improve – but you want something that helps you immediately, right?
So lets come back to the now. What will training do for you now?
Train well (with weights) and you will be ill less often (no unplanned downtime from work). Your body will be more resilient and have more stamina – tough times like the end of financial year won’t wipe you out. Better posture will improve mental state and physical capacity.
Strive, survive, thrive – the application of appropriate physical stress builds character and mental toughness without breaking you down. Your mindset at work will be the same – but tougher.
So – training will help you reduce illness, be more productive when you are at work, and give you more mental clarity and toughness when the demands are high.
It is not all about muscle and max reps though. Meet Greg – he is an absolute inspiration of what a positive physical regime can allow you to accomplish.
The team tell me that I am a great example of what training can do for everyone. That is nice – but I do this for me and I love it.
I am 87. I am outside the doors at Ninth Wave 5 times a week at 05:20 (yes, A.M. folks.) I am getting up to date on world affairs before my training sessions. I train early as I have lots to do!
I am so excited that I can still get stronger and move better. Technique and safety are clearly a high priority for me and keep me moving forward.
I have issues to workaround and more hurdles than most – but we handle that and I keep bouncing back and making progress and I feel and move better for it.
FINAL REVIEW
I already know you are a high performer but you could perform even better if you slept more often and with greater quality; if you ate foods that fire you up and sustain you; and if you used the right training to stimulate your physical system rather than wear it down.
Choosing any one of these areas and improving it will move you towards higher performance. Improving all three all but guarantees you that this year will be your best ever.
We are dedicated to helping people to achieve happier, healthier and better performing lives. As such, you can now benefit from some of the advice we give our clients by claiming one of our three Client Guides totally free and with no obligation. Use the Contact Us link to send of an email, asking for a free copy of your preferred Client Guide (eat better, sleep better, look and feel better) and we will be in touch within 24 hours to check that it all made sense and help you on your way.