High-Performance Habits - The Growth Equation

When Good Enough is Good Enough

Let’s start with an interesting observation: so many “influencers,” “optimizers,” and “wellness” and “happiness” gurus don’t have partners or kids. Yes, strive to be healthy and excellent and all that, but sometimes the key to adult life—perhaps especially if you’ve got kids—is that you’ve just got to order a pizza and move on. To be…

How to Apply an “RPE” Scale to Life

On the wall of my local gym, where the coaches program training based on how athletes feel, hangs this chart: Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is commonly used in high-performance sport to balance effort and recovery. More time in upper zones means more time in lower ones. Stress plus rest equals growth, and not just…

How to Get Out of Your Own Way to Perform at Your Best

Ninety percent of coaching is helping people to get out of their own way. In talking to some of the best athletes and executives on the planet for my new book, Do Hard Things, I heard many stories of when their minds were screaming at them to quit, to find a hole to step in,…

To Perform Your Best, Let Go

If you want to perform better, you’ve got to try harder. That may well be one of the central tenants of western culture. If things aren’t going your way, you need to double down on your effort. The problem must be a lack of grind, motivation to push forward, or caring. From the athletic…