Whether it be in the gym or the workplace, most of us are looking for ways to optimize our performance. Research shows that our health status directly influences our work behavior, attendance, and, most importantly, our on-the-job performance. Therefore, improving your well-being can result in a more productive routine.
But for any performance or wellness initiative to be successful, it must become an intrinsic part of your routine and culture. By creating an integrated plan of action, you can strategically cultivate a mentality of creating habits that generate a healthier state of mind, one that enhances your productivity and overall wellness.
Justin Roethlingshoefer is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Own It, a global coaching and training company focused on helping entrepreneurs, organizations, and individuals harness the maximum power of human performance, intelligence, and potential. For more than a decade, Justin has been working with players in the NHL, MLB, actors, singers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and organizations to harness their power and maximize performance.
Justin’s book “Own It,” combined with his sustained life change process, has impacted thousands of people. It is a philosophical and scientific exploration of the power of thought and the profound impact it has on our performance. He provides a practical, step-by-step framework for evolving into the high performer we were all meant to be.
In this article, we will focus on the tactics and practices conducive to producing top performance and discuss wellness tips to optimize your mind and body to deliver the performance needed to maximize your capabilities.
The Biggest Mistakes You Are Making With Your Morning Routine
“It’s not about the hour you get up; it’s about what you do with the hours that you are up.”
Don’t Expect Perfection
One of the first mistakes we make with our morning routine is expecting perfection, as Drew Manning outlines. Drew is the New York Times best-selling author of the book Fit2Fat2Fit, and is most known for his viral Fit2Fat2Fit.com experiment. Manning has been featured on shows like Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, The View, and many more. His experiment has become a hit TV show, called Fit to Fat to Fit, which is currently airing on A&E & Lifetime. His new book, Complete Keto, is also available now.
Meditation, positive affirmation, and gratitude are the pillars of Manning’s morning routine, and ones that he says are crucial in making himself the high performer he is today. With that positive affirmation comes the expectation that perfection is not only unattainable but is unnecessary.
“It’s about making small changes that will hopefully turn into habits in the long run.”
It’s All About Awareness
Roethlingshoefer is a big advocate for awareness, and what awareness can do to help construct the mindset and routine conducive to personal success. It’s not about saying who you have to mimic, who you have to be like, or the results you are going to get. It’s about being able to identify certain habits that help you turn into a high performer.
Finding a Balance
Sometimes, life can feel overwhelming, and balancing all the daily tasks and demands that come with being a high performer can sometimes feel daunting. This is why it’s essential to balance what fulfills you in both heart and mind. Find ways to incorporate segments of time to not only the tasks you need to accomplish but also time for yourself or with your loved ones.
If Your Routine Isn’t Working, Start Doing the Opposite
Craig Ballantyne is a massive proponent of adapting your strategy to your personal needs and maximum efficiencies. His clients know him as the “World’s Most Disciplined Man.” But he was born lazy and introverted. He then spent years inventing systems that make success automatic for anyone. He built his Turbulence Training fitness business to over 151,000 customers and 15 million YouTube views and owns EarlyToRise.com. His first book, The Perfect Day Formula, has helped over 35,000 high-performers own the day and take back control of their lives. Today, Craig coaches entrepreneurs to make more money and work less using the techniques in his Wall Street Journal bestseller, Unstoppable, and new book, The Perfect Week Formula.
Ballantyne has seen a ton of success with his clients by trying this simple adjustment to their morning routine. He implores you to get up and do the most important thing or the thing you have been putting off the most. Make a habit of waking up and focusing on accomplishing that solidary task first and foremost. Then, do so every day for three weeks straight.
If It’s Not Working, Switch Up Your Routine
Craig also emphasizes that nobody should be anxious about a morning routine. While he is a proponent of getting up and attacking the most important tasks of the day, that may or may not be a tactic that works best for you or your schedule. If that is a practice that simply doesn’t work for you, don’t force it.
By changing up your routine, you can change your life. Taking some simple steps is the first step toward changing the bigger things.
Simple Ways to Change Up Your Daily Routine
Shower and brush your teeth differently
Do you usually start on the left side and work your way right? Try starting on your right side. Do you typically shampoo first when you shower? Start with body wash this time. While it may seem initially juvenile to switch up such a rudimentary task, it’s a great starting point to begin shifting your mindset into developing more productive habits.
Commute a Different Way to Work
It can’t be overstated that changing your daily routine starts with changing your mindset. It can be as simple as trying to leave 10 minutes earlier in the morning or taking the scenic route to work instead of the traditional way you use every day.
Pick a Different Place to Hang Out
Perhaps you are the type who typically hangs out with friends at a local watering hole or your favorite coffee shop. If you are the coffee type (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), you probably have a specific coffee shop you tend to visit regularly. Maybe it’s a Starbucks near your house or a chic local spot around the corner from your downtown loft. Regardless, venture out and try something new even if it’s a little farther away. Even better, try something completely different like a road trip, a sporting event, or a concert.
Wellness Tips from the Experts
Head vs. Heart
John Romaniello is an author, angel investor, media personality, and consultant who helps entrepreneurs improve communication skills and increase revenue through writing.
A well-renowned professional across multiple industries, Romaniello has written hundreds of articles on various topics, from business and marketing to fitness and self-development. He’s the author of the New York Times best-seller, Engineering the Alpha. In 2015, he founded Wellspring Media, a consulting company focused on increasing income and influence through effective branding and storytelling. Currently serving as an advisor to nearly a dozen companies, Romaniello freelances as a ghostwriter and copy-doctor, where he offers services as a writing mentor and consultant focused on helping content creators become better writers.
Failing Forward
One of the keys to finding wellness and performance for Romaniello was failing forward and learning to live for himself and his purpose. “I found that I was living for them, not for myself,” recalls Romaniello, thinking back on pursuing a medical career before committing to his passion for writing.
The idea around failing forward isn’t built on the practice of trying things and failing until you finally try something where you succeed. On the contrary, failing forward is about leveraging mistakes, making a realistic assessment of risks and the ability to live with the downside of those risks, and experimenting with new approaches. Failing forward is an investment in human success.
Success and Happiness Are Two Different Things
Like a mathematical equation or a perfectly-timed analogy, success and happiness are separate, yet in many ways go hand in hand. Many times, each of the two is dependent on many factors. It can’t be denied that success has a profound stake in our happiness. But it’s not necessarily in the way many people would think.
Think about it like this; success is an achievement, but happiness is the achievement. People like Romaniello stress that success should be a byproduct of happiness — a result of focusing on the habits and practices that produce personal satisfaction, and the benefits that derive from them.
Living Well, Fit, and Free
With his decades of experience and proven track record for maximizing the potential for both individuals and businesses alike, Roethlingshoefer bases his approach on six pillars: wellness, relationship, faith, career, finance, self-care, and legacy.
Proper wellness doesn’t solely reside in either your physical or mental health. It’s a combination, or marrying of the two, that creates a sense of true wellness and well being. As noted throughout this piece, it’s all about finding your balance.
Final Thoughts
An overview of these expert coaches’ tips and tactics can be summed up in one word: mindset.
Truly experiencing the benefits of top performance and optimal wellness starts with making a change in your lifestyle and your mindset. Making these changes can often be difficult, but as experts like Roethlingshoefer, Manning, and others outlined, the benefits can be profound. Self-affirmation is a consistent theme as well, and for a good reason. Whether it be your loved ones, your friends, or your coworkers, the one who needs the most care, concern, and attention is yourself.
Top performance is a byproduct of realizing one’s ultimate objective. Whether it be playing professional sports or getting that big promotion because you doubled your sales goals, performance is something nearly all of us are looking to enhance to some degree or another. And success in this realm is undoubtedly made easier when you have a foundation of wellness layered with impactful performance training techniques. This includes both physical and mental fitness. Bear in mind; this process is a lifelong journey that requires both consistency and discipline. Regularly exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep are the pillars of wellness. You can ensure that your journey for top performance will be more successful by adopting these practices.