The 5 Pillars of Peak Performance
Being successful requires much more than just intelligence and talent. There are basic needs which have to be met to function at your peak. Unfortunately, these basic needs are neglected by most, impairing their capacity to rise to those elusive higher levels of success and happiness in life.
To be in top form, you have to make yourself your most important investment.
Master these 5 pillars of performance:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Nutrition
- Stress
- Mindset
1. Get enough sleep
Sometimes it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and unfortunately, when your plate is overflowing with responsibilities, sleep is often the first thing on the chopping block.
Understand this one thing… Sleep is the first domino of optimal health and performance.
Good, quality sleep makes everything better…food choices, workouts, productivity, creativity, mood, stress levels, etc. Unfortunately, the inverse is also true. Poor quality sleep, or simply insufficient enough, makes everything more difficult.
Trust me when I say “Team No Sleep” is not the move.
2. Exercise Consistently
The health and well-being of a business are reflective of the health and well-being of its key operator.
I see business owners and executives who get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the high-stress entrepreneurial lifestyle, who have gained a significant amount of weight, are chronically fatigued, and live a lifestyle that is putting a strain on their families and relationships.
Exercising is an entrepreneur's greatest competitive advantage.
Aside from the obvious physical benefits of weight loss, dropping body fat, and strength, exercise has a laundry list of cognitive benefits: increased mental clarity and creativity, greater productivity and decision-making, improved mood, and increased resiliency.
3. Eat well; Perform Well
My favorite way to illustrate this is to think of your body like a car. As an entrepreneur, you aren’t the average, everyday car. Your body is a high-performance race car.
Are you fueling your body like a Formula-1 or a Dodge Neon?
Prepare your body to perform at the highest level possible by fueling your body with whole, nutrient-dense food, including lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
4. Manage Stress
Your nervous system is your body’s, Chief Operating Officer.. There are two branches, the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
Constantly living in a state of “fight or flight” is a ticking time bomb. There is only so much you can manage until something has to give.
Stress isn’t always a bad thing. It’s necessary to become more efficient, productive, and effective. The key is managing stress in such a way that it helps you grow and improve but does not impact your work, life or health negatively.
Controlling your stress, rather than your stress controlling you, is a superpower that will make you unstoppable.
5. Develop a High-Performance Mindset
A high-performance mindset is a set of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that enable individuals to consistently perform at their best and achieve exceptional results.
It is the foundation for achieving excellence and success in any area of life, from business to sports to personal growth..
At its core, a high-performance mindset is about embracing a growth mindset, which is the belief that you can improve and develop through effort and experience.
It involves setting goals, focusing on the process, seeking feedback and learning from failures, and maintaining a positive and resilient attitude in facing challenges.
Developing a high-performance mindset is non-negotiable in the game of business. What would applying that same mindset to your health and fitness look like?
Best,
Kerianne Los | RDN at Pursuit | LinkedIn
