High-Performance Habits
Good Enough vs. Great
Anyone can burn bright for a few days, weeks, months, or maybe even a year. But burning bright over the long haul requires consistency. And trying to be great all the time usually leads to illness, injury, and burnout. It also creates a lot of tension and stress. But if you can string together a…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Perfectly Imperfect Practice
“I want you to reach out with your lower leg and slam your heel into the ground when you run.” I was standing at the track with a coach who was telling me to do something that every coach with whom I had ever worked—from junior high to the pros— had advised against. Conventional wisdom…
Read MoreWhen 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…
Read MoreHow 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…
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