As a business owner without the structure of a 9-5, work can be (and often is) all-consuming. Hence, a new narrative in recent years has been around peak performance for entrepreneurs and how they can sustain high levels of productivity and success for longer hours.
Books like High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard and The High Performance Entrepreneur by Subroto Bagchi have soared in popularity as more entrepreneurs are considering how to achieve that peak state.
Dr. Freddy Behin is a serial entrepreneur, doctor, philanthropist, world class athlete, international inspirational and business speaker, and best selling author who specializes in coaching and consulting just that: achieving peak performance. He has mastered the art of success and considered an achievement expert. Now that the new decade has arrived and everyone’s back in the swing of things, I wanted to understand how entrepreneurs can tweak their current habits to perform at their optimal state. So, I got the opportunity to chat with Dr. Behin to get his quick tips on working towards sustainable peak performance. Here’s what he shared with me.
Dance With Instead Of Run From Your Challenges
First, analyze the current challenges in your life and business. You often have to get real with yourself here – perhaps it takes longer than you’d like to get into work mode in the mornings, or maybe sales have been an ever present struggle. “I always say you have to dance with the challenges rather than avoiding and running from them,” Dr. Behin said. “First, identify them. Next, put laser focus on knocking out each challenge before taking on any other task.”
In part, this is about holding yourself accountable. Dr. Behin says he notices people feel much better when they ‘fight the monster.’ Instead of working WITH the challenges, transforming the behaviors and lack around it makes for a smoother ride on the whole. His favorite saying is: “you must kill the monster while it’s a baby”. Allowing challenges to grow, makes dealing with them later much harder.
Create An Ideal Peak Performance Version Of Yourself
It’s important to always have an ‘ideal you’ that you’re working towards. That way, you can better analyze the gap between where you are currently and where you want to be. Start by writing down a list of the ideal you in every category – health, productivity, finances, socially – whatever categories matter to you most. Dr. Behin shared his unique process he uses with his clients to get them to discover what is most important to them. In many cases most are chasing the wrong objectives.
Alshair Fiyaz, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, recommends setting standards for an ideal that intimidates you. “It’s important to make the ideal bigger than you can conceptualize,” he shared. “It’s just like that quote – if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough. The bigger your ‘ideal you’ is, the more you demand of yourself.” So, for every goal you list, go back and double or triple it. The point is that it will initially seem out of reach… until, of course, you work for it.
Get Your Biological Factors Right
Next, make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep your health in check. As a world class athlete and doctor, Dr. Behin stresses this. “It’s so glamorized to work all day and night and forget to eat meals, hydrate, and exercise,” he’s witnessed. “But without the proper nutrients and the endorphins from a good workout, you simply won’t ever achieve your peak performance.” He shared with me that he listens to his body. Sometimes he takes a half a day or an entire day off to take care of his body and mind by playing music in his studio or spending the morning in front of the ocean. He knows by doing just that he becomes more productive.
Take the time to rest when you need to and hit that workout class during the day. Even though it may seem like time away from your work, it will make you that much more productive when you return. “If you’re interested in how foods impact your peak performance, look up what high nutrient foods like leafy greens and fresh fruit can do for you, too,” he recommended. You’ll notice a difference in how you feel and how much you can get done when you have a healthy, balanced lunch rather than a greasy burger or something lower on the nutrients side.
Set KPI’s And Don’t Waver On Them
Finally, similar to setting an ideal for yourself, set very clear KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) for your business. “You’d be surprised how few people actually have specific goals for their companies,” he adds that the majority of business owners have no idea what their KPIs are or even should be. When he works with these clients on their business and discovered the KPIs they drastically improve their performance and revenue. At the start of every month, work with your team, a mentor, or even on your own to write down clear goals for revenue, ad conversion rates, or whatever metrics matter most to you and your business. Then don’t compromise on them.
“Peak performance means you keep going, even when unexpected challenges arise,” Dr. Behin remarked. Don’t take no for an answer. If you ultimately don’t achieve those KPI’s, you’ll still be far closer if you kept up the hard work in that direction than if you just gave up because it seemed too hard. A key concept he contributes his success to, is that he avoids mediocrity at any cost. He believes treating any part of your life at a lower standard will flow through other areas. So raise your standards and set measurable KPIs to track them.
The more you focus on a peak performance lifestyle, the easier it will become. Remember that motivation comes in waves. Keep yourself listening to podcasts, reading books, and talking to people who inspire you and keep you in the pursuit of your peak performance.
Source: Forbes
Amenorhu kwaku is an author, internet marketer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of SuccessValley, a network community for students and aspiring entrepreneurs. He is also the founder of Republik City News and Whoop, a news portal and a business directory.
