How to Achieve High Performance

Every day that you wake and begin your daily task, you are performing. However, being successful requires much more than your intelligence or natural skills; you must become a high performer. High performers have mastered the skills necessary to be on top of their game, and so can you. If you want to know how to achieve high performance, or be at your best in whatever you do, study these five tips on achieving high performance in life, business, or your career.

Tip #1: Get Enough Sleep

A lot happens to your body when you sleep. During a good night's sleep, the body repairs and regrows tissues builds bone and muscle and strengthens the immune system. Insufficient sleep can result in poor concentration and will ultimately result in poor performance. Getting 7 to 9 hours of regular nightly sleep will provide you with greater energy levels and positively impact your performance. Try to retire to bed at least 2 hours before midnight and be consistent in the time you retire to bed and the time you awake.

Tip #2: Be Prepared

The difference between success and failure is often due to an individual's preparation. As Joe Frazier once said, "Champions aren't made in the ring; they are merely recognized there." In his book The Art of War, Military strategist Sun Tzu puts it this way: "The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought." Critical to your success, therefore, is the work you put into the preparation. It's best to be over-prepared, to the point where your performance becomes second nature. That means you are pretty much automated when engaged in the task at hand. So be prepared, and don't try to wing it.

Tip #3: Stay Present

Maximize the moment and stay present during your performance. One more thing! Trust the process and the preparation you have put in. Today is the most important day of your life because it is the only day you have. Dwelling on yesterday's failures and successes or daydreaming about tomorrow is distracting, creating feelings, not function. Remember that an action can only occur today, so stay in the present. 

Tip #4: Be Optimistic

A prerequisite for high performance is optimism - the belief that everything will work in your favor. So first, it is looking for the best in every situation. Second, it is maintaining an attitude that the outcome is going to be positive no matter what. High performers tend to see the light at the end of the tunnel but embrace the reality that they must first walk through the dark. They maintain a "sometimes you win, sometimes you learn" attitude. 

Tip #5: Spend Time Alone

High performers spend time alone to think, reflect and recalibrate. Time alone refreshes and recharges your physical, mental, and emotional states. Like a well-tuned automobile with all four wheels perfectly aligned, spending time alone reflecting brings in alignment the mind and the body, providing you with fuel for your high-performance levels.

Let me know how things turn out after trying these tips. Remember, improved performance will improve productivity, and improved productivity will improve your profitability.