High Performance Habits

High Performance Habits is your guide to building the six systems that science and the lives of the most successful people in the world prove will turn you into a productive, fulfilled, and extraordinary person.

The first habit is seeking clarity, which means finding and following your purpose. This gives high performers focus and direction in everything that they do.

There are four areas that you need to work on to develop this habit:

The self, or becoming the best you can be. To do this, ask if you’re currently acting how you want to be and what you need to change to get there. The social sphere, which involves being intentional in how you treat others. Constantly ask yourself how you can improve every social situation you’re in. Skills, for which you need to set aside time to develop by practice, feedback, and improvement. Service, or giving of yourself to help others. This keeps high achievers motivated and provides meaning.

Habit number two is to generate physical by exercising and mental energy by developing a positive attitude.

For exercise, stop making excuses and make it happen. If you want to reap the benefits it brings of improved focus, memory, and stress-management abilities, you need to set up a routine and stick to it.

Extraordinary people, the data reveals, are more positive than others even though they don’t have any fewer difficulties. If you want to develop this habit, ask yourself every day what you have to look forward to, and believe that good things are coming.

Pretend you’re watching two runners walking up to the starting line before a big race. One is thinking about the fame they’ll get by winning, and the other considers their children that they have to win the race for. Who do you think is more likely to win? If you chose the latter, you’d be correct. This brings us to habit three, which is raising necessity. This means having an external reason for your work, which increases motivation by directing your thoughts away from your selfish desires for success. To practice this habit, set ambitious goals and make sure that they are necessary and not just preferable outcomes. Next comes habit number four, which is increasing productivity. Do this by separating the important work from the unimportant, and only put your energy into that which is vital. Most people waste time on menial tasks like email because they feel like you’re accomplishing something. When in reality you’re putting off other, more impactful work. Also watch out for the deadline trap, which is when people don’t hold themselves to the deadlines they set. Set and commit to a clear due date and use a…