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5 Hidden Habits of High-Performers
Paul
December 01, 2023
“If you want what the five percent have you must be willing to do what the 95 percent are not.”
This is one of my favorite quotes.
It’s a stark reminder that if you want to separate yourself from the pack - the pack of average, ordinary, and normal, you need to be willing to do what the average person is not.
The truth is that society has conditioned you to want to be part of the pack. But when you take a closer look, you’ll see just how terrible an average life is when you consider that the average American is…
Overweight
Depressed
Stressed
In debt
Yeah, different from what you had in mind...
Your mind and body share one aligned goal: survival.
However, if you’re reading this right now, I have a strong hunch you aspire to do more than merely survive; you desire to thrive.
You desire to be more, do more, and achieve more; to achieve your full potential.
Yes - even if that means spending ample time outside your comfort zone, which is the optimal environment for emotional, psychological, and physical growth.
If any of the above resonates with you, consider yourself in the right place.
In today’s edition of the Unstuck Yourself Newsletter, I’m going to further define what it means to be a High-Performer.
Then, rather than outlining the obvious habits that the most successful people routinely execute, such as eating well, prioritizing sleep, and exercising often, I’m going to share five not-so-obvious (what I call hidden) habits that the top of the top routinely engage in to gain a greater edge and unlock their potential.
Let’s dive in!
What Is A High-Performer
For our purposes, the way I define a High-Performer is as someone who is committed to the pursuit of achieving their full potential.
High-Performers…
Are committed to achieving exceptional results.
Are self-aware enough to recognize that they don’t have it all figured out.
Take consistent action toward their goal - regardless of how they feel in the moment.
Constantly seek every edge they can - and recognize that the biggest edge lies within their mindset and their ability to get out of their way.
Embrace a growth mindset and consistently seek new knowledge, tools, and out-of-comfort-zone opportunities to foster their personal development.
Strive to be more, do more, and achieve more - in every aspect of their life.
Are humble enough to know that asking for help is the quickest way to overcome the obstacles they face to unlock their full potential.
Invest in themselves early and often to accelerate their knowledge and growth.
High-Performers take ruthless action to shatter the fears and shed the stories holding them back so that they can continue the pursuit of their full potential.
Let me be clear, though: High-Performers are not robots.
They’re not perfect either.
They’re emotional beings and possess many flaws and shortcomings. But this doesn’t deter them from their commitment to and pursuit of fulfilling their potential and living the life of their dreams.
Below you’ll learn more about five hidden habits of High-Performers. The not-so-obvious behaviors they routinely engage in are to be more, do more, and achieve more.
High-Performers have ingrained the notion “how they do anything is how they do everything” into their minds. This translates to strong attention to detail and care in the smallest of tasks, such as making their bed, because they know it translates to the biggest, most important tasks, too.
Think about the habit of making your bed each morning…
What comes to mind when you envision doing this - or envision someone else doing this?
Perhaps, a degree of discipline, commitment, and attention to detail come to mind, which are collectively prized traits possessed by the best of the best in their respective fields.
The habit of making your bed daily is such a powerful concept that there’s an entire book written on it by a former Navy SEAL, Admiral William McRaven. In his book, appropriately titled, “Make Your Bed,” of course, he states the impact and importance of making your bed daily as follows:
“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”
High-Performers look to accumulate and stack as many wins as possible as often as possible.
By beginning the day with a win, a dose of accomplishment, and follow-through on a personal commitment, you prime yourself for greater strength and grit to tackle the day’s challenges ahead, while also knocking down the first domino of many more wins to come throughout the day.
In short, making your bed each morning is the spark to get the fire of positive momentum going to begin the day.
Consider the difference between these two sentences.
I haven’t achieved my monthly incoming goal of $50,000.
I haven’t achieved my monthly incoming goal of $50,000 yet.
Note the difference in how you unconsciously and consciously experience each response….
In the former, there’s a sense of definitiveness without any hint about whether the goal will eventually be reached. However, in the latter, the addition of the word “yet” implies that the individual is on his or her way to achieving the goal.
A sense of hope and belief that the goal will soon be achieved is understood.
Your subconscious is always listening.
It notices the words you choose to talk about yourself, what you’re capable of, and your goals. Words carry great power.
It’s not a coincidence that the word “spell” means the creation of a magical force or effect, while also alluding to the construction of the words you write and speak, i.e., the correct sequence of letters in the words you speak.
There’s power in the words you use.
Use them wisely and allow them to work for you, not against you.
The addition of the word “yet” brings a sense of hope that success is right around the corner. It ignites a spark of energy and follow-through while also creating an encouraging environment that helps build confidence that through perseverance anything is possible.
High-Performers intentionally use this word to emphasize that goal achievement is expected to happen soon.
It’s time to alohomora your full potential!
(read: bad Harry Potter spell joke using the spell to unlock something…)
Interested in learning how Hypno-Mindset and Performance coaching can help you unstuck yourself and reach your full potential? Schedule a 30-minute discovery call with me here.
“Show me your calendar, and I'll show you, your PRIORITIES and your LIFE.”
Ed Mylett
Think about your calendar right now…
If someone you didn’t know were to look at your calendar, what would they list as your top three priorities?
Work?
Family time?
Self-care?
Work again?
Leisure?
Pickleball?
High-Performers are not only clear on their top priorities, but they also ruthlessly protect their time to ensure that whoever and whatever deserves the most of their time is receiving it.
Your calendar should include time with your family and loved ones, your biggest priorities, and as we’ll learn in the next section, adequate time for both self-care and recovery.
But here’s the separator between high-performers and average: once something is on the calendar, it’s ruthlessly protected.
Family time doesn’t get ditched because you’re not as far ahead on a project as you thought you’d be.
Your workout doesn’t get skipped because you didn’t sleep well or have a lot to do.
Once something goes on the calendar, it’s ruthlessly protected and prioritized.
This means you need to take the time to carefully evaluate, organize, and prioritize your to-do list to ensure that what gets time blocked out deserves the protection and allotted time.
Note: If you’re reading this section and don’t have a calendar, this should be a major wake-up call for you. The best of the best strategically prioritize how and when they’ll spend time on their priorities each day - and they know how ahead of time.
Let this serve as the kick-in-the-ass you need to get your calendar started. I like to use both Google Calendar and a physical calendar - the former for my day-to-day and the latter for big goals, deadlines, and events.
Olympic athletes don’t train 24/7/365.
Neither should you.
This applies to your workout regimen, of course, but also your work.
“Quality time off leads to quality time on.”
High-Performers recognize how important it is to bring their A-game to the day as often as possible and firmly understand that burning the candle at both ends is not the recipe to make that happen.
What does strategic rest and recovery look like?
Time dedicated to reading and learning
Time dedicated to learning a new skill, such as learning a new language, how to play the piano, or how to play pickleball
Afternoon power naps
Digital detox and disconnection blocks
Hiking and spending time in nature
Going to see a movie or watching one at home
Traveling for vacation
Or, as I like to label it: prioritizing time to enjoy a blissful quietude of nothingness.
For me, that sometimes equates to putting my eye mask on and lying down for 20 minutes during the middle of the day. And, at planned intervals, it also means weekly social media detoxes and quarterly trips in which I disconnect from email, social media, and work completely.
High-Performers aren’t “on” all the time.
Yes, even Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James watch movies, read books, go on vacation, and spend time in silence.
They can prioritize and be intentional with their planned time off which allows them to do, be, and achieve more when it’s a dedicated time to be on.
Are you prioritizing time off to be able to better spend your time on?
A High-Performer is self-aware enough to recognize that they don’t have it all figured out.
And humble enough to know that asking for help is the quickest way to overcome the obstacles they face to unlock their full potential.
Think about some of the most successful people you know…
How many of them go at it alone, without a team, and a mentor or coach?
Exactly.
The top athletes and most successful people in the world have at least one coach and surround themselves with a team to bring their dreams to fruition sooner.
You’re no different.
Yes, you may be brilliant, independent, and capable of great feats on your own. But you’re capable of being, doing, and achieving far more when you ask for help along the way.
A quote I like that reminds me of the power of going with others is as follows:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”
As a High-Performer, you crave long-term success for the decades to come. Don’t let stubbornness get in the way of you and your full potential.
Stubbornness is expensive.
It’s okay to ask for help. Asking for help is the quickest way to achieve the results you desire. Asking for help gives you the chance to avoid costly mistakes and take a proven path to lasting results.
Yet, you’ve been conditioned to believe asking for help is a sign of weakness and that just because you know what to do means you should automatically be able to do it without resistance.
If only…
It’s okay to ask for help. Not doing so is costing you precious time, energy, and money while keeping you stuck in a pattern of the same mistakes.
I’ve hired coaches (or therapists) in the areas of (or to help me with)...
my nutrition (bodybuilding show prep)
my exercise (powerlifting meet prep)
emotional healing, learning, and growth (post-divorce)
to take my poker skills to the next level
to grow my business
to learn how to get out of my own way (mindset and performance coaching)
to learn how to communicate
to learn how to manage my finances
Asking for help and investing in a coach is a sign of power and strength. It’s not a sign of weakness. You’re foolish to continue to try and do it all on your own.
Investing in a coach has the potential to change your life.
A great coach will listen - truly hear - what you’re saying and meet you where you’re at.
He or she will provide you with a proven framework, and unmatchable support, and also empower you with a fundamental understanding of why you’re being asked to do X or Y so you feel part of the process each step of the way.
But most of all, he or she will…
help you get the fuck out of your own way!
help you achieve your transformation and goal faster and more efficiently (and effectively).
save you countless dollars, headaches, and heartache from trying to go at it alone.
empower you with a limitless sense of confidence that spills into other areas of your life.
It’s safe, okay, and necessary to ask for help and invest in a coach if you want to reach your full potential.
Interested in learning how Hypno-Mindset and Performance Coaching can help you unstuck yourself and reach your full potential? Schedule a 30-minute discovery call with me here.
Your Next Step
I want to remind you that these habits possess immense power, but if you don’t have the foundational habits of self-care in place, such as eating well, optimizing sleep, and exercising often, they’re not going to provide anywhere near their potential firepower.
You can’t change unless you change.
Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter.
In next Friday’s Unstuck Yourself Newsletter…
I’m going to put a pause on telling you what’s ahead as I am so full of ideas I pivot on the fly.
BUT! I can tell you it’ll be another value-packed newsletter.
Interested in learning more about how I help high-performers just like you unstuck themselves and unlock their full potential?
Apply to work with me and schedule a coaching discovery call here.
You may catch up on previous newsletters here.
If you have a question about anything I discussed in this week’s Unstuck Newsletter, please message me on Twitter (@pauljsalter7) or Instagram (@paulsaltercoaching).
My email inbox is always open, too: [email protected]
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